MRI: Advanced Processing Equipment for Microelectronics Research

9871290 Gangopadhyay拟议的设备采购将是德克萨斯理工大学(TTU)旨在制造和表征半导体材料的广泛跨学科研究计划的主要部分。在这个更大的研究主题中，该设备将支持两个主要重点领域--硅加工和化合物半导体--以及工艺建模方面的工作。在私营部门高度合作的情况下，交通运输大学在这些领域的研究工作正在取得进展。研究生和本科生都积极参与到这项工作中来。除了研究，这些设备还将用于两个研究生项目的教育和培训--文理学院的实习硕士项目(MSI)和工程学院的半导体产品工程硕士项目(SPE)。MSI课程是由NSF支持的课程。所需的9至12个月的实习时间得到了主要半导体制造商的支持。SPE计划完全得到了主要半导体公司的支持。在这项提案中，私人投资机构要求为一个系统提供资金。该系统是一种现代研发组合工具，将使他们能够显著改进和扩大研究工作所需的蚀刻和沉积工艺的范围。集束设备由两个电子回旋共振(ECR)等离子体腔组成，一个用于大面积(6-8英寸晶圆)沉积，另一个用于蚀刻。这台仪器是由PlamaQuest制造的。这家公司被选中的原因有很多。他们的设备符合我们的需要，而且他们的价格很有竞争力。更重要的是，我们在德州仪器和雷神公司的工业合作伙伴使用了PlamaQuest产品。设备的兼容性在联合工艺开发和随后的技术转让中很重要。它在我们的学生培训活动中也很重要，包括产业合作和指导。最后，PlamaQue st在与大学和工业研究人员合作开发各种微电子工艺方面享有极高的声誉，并以鼓励传播结果而闻名。所要求的设备将对硅和化合物半导体的研究活动产生重大影响。虽然这两个研究领域看起来完全不同，但实际上存在一些协同效应。例如，化合物半导体和硅界似乎都对在硅上沉积氮化铝感兴趣。同样，如果没有硅刻蚀方面的专业知识，GaN的低损伤刻蚀是不可能的。虽然共用设备增加了交叉污染的可能性，但他们认为这两个研究领域都将受益。他们的建模工作与这两个半导体项目都相关。这项工作的目标是开发可靠的蚀刻和沉积的数值模拟，然后用于工艺分析、设计和控制。***

9871290 Gangopadhyay The proposed equipment purchase will be a major part of a broad interdisciplinary research initiative at Texas Tech University (TTU), aimed at the fabrication and characterization of semiconductor materials. Within this larger research theme, the equipment will support work in two major focus areas-silicon processing and compound semiconductors-as well as in process modeling. The research effort in these areas at TTU is progressing with high levels of private sector partnership. Both graduate and undergraduate students are actively involved in this work. In addition to research, the equipment will be used for education and training of students in two graduate programs--the Master's Program with Internship (MSI) in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Master's Program in Semiconductor Product Engineering (SPE) in the College of Engineering. The MSI program is an NSF-supported curriculum. The required nine to twelve months of internship are supported by major semiconductor manufacturers. The SPE program is entirely supported by major semiconductor companies. In this proposal the PIs request funding for one system. This system is a modem R&D cluster tool that will allow them to significantly improve and expand the range of etching and deposition processes needed in their research effort. The cluster tool consists of two electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma chambers, one for large area (6-8 inch wafers) deposition and the other for etching. This instrument is manufactured by PlasmaQuest. This company has been selected for a number of reasons. Their equipment suits our needs and their prices are very competitive. More importantly, PlasmaQuest products are used by our industrial collaborators at Texas Instruments and Raytheon. Compatibility of equipment is important in joint process development and the subsequent technology transfer. It is also important in our student-training activities, including industrial co-ops and mentoring. Finally, PlasmaQue st has an excellent reputation for developing various processes for microelectronics in collaboration with university and industry researchers, and is known for encouraging dissemination of the results. The equipment requested will have a major impact on research activities in Si and compound semiconductors. While the two research areas appear quite separate there are in fact a number of synergies. For instance, deposition of AIN on Si appears to be of interest both to the compound semiconductors and Si communities. Similarly, low damage etching of GaN would not he possible without the expertise developed in the etching of Si. While equipment sharing rises the possibility of cross-contamination, they believe both research areas will benefit. their modeling work is relevant to both semiconductor programs. The goal of this effort is to develop reliable numerical simulations of etching and deposition, which are then to be used in process analysis, design, and control. ***