NER: Exploring A Novel Plasma-Based Copper Nano-Line Etch Method for Nano-Devices And Circuits

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0103022KuoThis proposal was received in response to NSE, NSF-0019. The goal of this proposal is to explore a novel method for etching copper nano-lines at room temperature, which is crucial for the fabrication of future nano-devices and circuits. The PI plans to study the key step in the process, i.e., a unique anisotropic plasma-copper reaction, in the nano-scale region.This is an experimental research project. The PI is going to investigate a number of issues in the nano-line definition process, such as the critical dimension control, profile, sidewall surface, and residue formation, through fundamental studies of plasma-copper surface reaction, solid-state reactant transport and copper-halide reactions. This research involves the microstructure of the copper material, plasma chemistry, and directional solid-state reaction mechanisms. In addition to plasma process characterization, he will make extensive use of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TFM) as well as other thin-film analytical methods to probe the plasma-copper reaction phenomenon at the nano-scale.The plasma reaction will he carried out in the principal investigator's (P1's) Thin Film Microelectronic Research Laboratory. All experiments will employ a simple parallel-plate reactive ion etching reactor with a 13.56 MHz RF generator. The nano-line pattern, e.g., sub-100 nm, will be prepared in the NSF National Nanofabrication Users Network (NNUN) facility located in the Pennsylvania State University using c-beam lithography. The industry sponsor AMD agrees to support this project by supplying thin film characterization service, technical consulting, and 6-inch wafers.