SBIR PHASE II: Development and Scaleup of the "Electron Jet" Jet Vapor Deposition Source

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将增强“电子射流”或“e-jet”薄膜沉积源的能力。E-jet是喷气气相沉积（JVD）工艺的通用源。JVD使用超音速“低真空射流”沉积金属、半导体、氧化物、氮化物、合金、多组分、多层和掺杂结构。JVD是一种低成本、环境清洁的工艺，在半导体集成电路（IC）、金属带涂层、保护层和光学领域具有经济前景。e-jet可以快速汽化任何金属并沉积薄膜，其高等离子体离子密度可以实现低能量、高通量的离子轰击。沉积速率和离子轰击是各种应用的关键。该项目将优化e-jet金属吞吐量和离子密度，以最大限度地提高沉积速度，延长源寿命，并控制薄膜性能。第二阶段将进行金属原子聚集（速率限制器）的质谱仪研究，研究氢原子化学能沉积，开发高速率粉末进料电子喷射，研究用于栅极电介质的氮化硅和用于沟槽填充物的铜的电子喷射沉积。商业应用有望在电气互连的金属带涂层，半导体IC电路栅极电介质的氮化硅沉积，以及保护热障涂层，如涡轮叶片。

*** 9703963 Halpern This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will enhance the capabilities of the "electron jet", or "e-jet," thin film deposition source. E-jet is a versatile source for the Jet Vapor Deposition (JVD) process. JVD uses supersonic "jets in low vacuum" to deposit metals, semiconductors, oxides, nitrides, in alloy, multicomponent, multilayer, and doped structures. JVD is a low cost, environmentally clean process with economic promise in semiconductor integrated circuits (IC), metal strip coating, protective layers, and optics. The e-jet can vaporize any metal and deposit films at high rate, and its high plasma ion density enables low energy, high flux ion bombardment. Deposition rate and ion bombardment are critical to various applications. This project will optimize e-jet metal throughput and ion density in order to maximize deposition rate, extend source life, and control film properties. Phase II will conduct mass spectrometer studies of metal atom clustering (a rate limiter), investigate hydrogen atom chemical energy deposition, develop a high rate powder feed e-jet, and investigate e-jet deposition of silicon nitride for gate dielectrics and copper for trench fill. Commercial applications are expected in metal strip coating of electrical interconnects, silicon nitride deposition for semiconductor IC circuit gate dielectrics, and protective thermal barrier coatings, such as in turbine blades.