Plasma processing for advanced microelectronics beyond CMOS

Abstract

The scientific study of plasma discharges and their material interactions has been crucial to the development of semiconductor process engineering and, by extension, the entire microelectronics industry. In recent years, the proliferation of the big data business model has led to heightened interest in technology candidates with the potential to supplant CMOS architectures in critical metrics such as computational capacity or power consumption. These novel technologies share many common material elements with existing logic and memory devices, but the impact of mass fabrication techniques on their performance is largely unknown due to differences in the underlying physics of their operation. Two components are thus vital to this endeavor: fundamental evaluation of any emerging plasma process interactions and the ability to tailor any aspect of the plasma process necessary to produce the desired specifications. In this article, we review relevant advances in the study of plasma-induced damage mechanisms as well as characterization methods such as diagnostic probes and simulation tools. We also provide an outlook for the application of techniques such as plasma doping, area-selective etch/deposition, and heterogeneous integration. The frontiers of any new computing paradigms can only be explored through a focus on atomic scale engineering, and progress in the field of plasma science supplies the necessary toolset.

Characterization of TSV etch from a sustainability standpoint

“…The selection of these chemistries was inextricably linked to the fundamental material system of silicon and its dielectrics which remains in use to this day; highly reactive fluorine species facilitate volatile byproduct formation and assist in rupturing strong dielectric bonds, while fluorocarbon polymer generation allows selectivity to the organic masking layers which define the features. 3 While fluorinated gases thus play an essential role for which no current viable alternatives exist, their high global warming potentials (GWP) and long atmospheric lifetimes have made them subject to monitoring and regulatory efforts by agencies such as the US EPA 4 and the European parliament. 5 A table summarizing these values for commonly used process gases is provided at the end of this section.…”

Ленточный Источник Электронного Пучка, Функционирующий В Широком Диапазоне Давлений

“…Плазменная обработка материалов нашла применение в таких областях промышленности как микроэлектроника, медицина, сельское хозяйство и др. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. В настоящее время существуют разные способы генерации плазмы -с использованием разрядов различных частотных диапазонов, а также ионизацией газа за счет прохождения через него ускоренного электронного пучка, так называемой электронно-пучковой плазмы [11][12][13].…”

Crossing Frequency Method Applicable to Intermediate Pressure Plasma Diagnostics Using the Cutoff Probe

“…However, these days, such an approach seems ill-suited since the current challenges in cutting-edge material fabrication involve processing steps that abruptly increase and also involve complicated chemistries [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 12 , 13 ]. To overcome this limitation, two alternatives have been proposed, namely computer simulation and plasma internal parameter diagnostic methods [ 20 ].…”