Chemical Control over Interface Formation and Impurity Introduction and Distribution in Thin Solid Films

在分析和表面化学项目的支持下，特拉华州大学化学系的Tejanakov教授和同事正在研究钛和钽的碳化物/氮化物的超薄阻挡层的成核和生长。 从有机金属前体的生长研究使用原位和非原位表面光谱和显微镜的方法，再加上这些薄膜的电子结构和生长过程的计算建模。 工作的重点是获得一个基本的理解的阻挡层生长的机制，并在这些层中的污染物的控制。 这种基本的理解将有助于设计更小的电子器件的微电子器件制造工艺。 随着电子器件尺寸的缩小，金属导体和有源半导体之间的扩散屏障必须变得更薄、更有效，才能使这些器件正常工作。 该项目支持的研究检查了基于钛和钽的碳化物和氮化物化合物的非常薄的层的形成和生长的基本机制，这些化合物可用于这些器件中的阻挡层。 这些基本信息将有助于下一代微电子器件的设计。

With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Teplyakov and coworkers in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware are investigating the nucleation and growth of ultra-thin barrier layers of titanium and tantalum carbide/nitrides. Growth from organometallic precursors is examined using in situ and ex situ surface spectroscopic and microscopic methods, coupled with computational modeling of the electronic structure and growth process of these thin films. The focus of the work is on obtaining a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of barrier layer growth, and the control of contaminants in these layers. This fundamental understanding will be useful in the design of microelectronic device fabrication processes for ever smaller electronic devices. As electronic device sizes shrink, barriers to diffusion between metallic conductors and active semiconductors must become thinner and more effective, for these devices to work properly. The research supported in this project examines the fundamental mechanisms of formation and growth of very thin layers based on titanium and tantalum carbide and nitride compounds, which can be used for barrier layers in these devices. This fundamental information will be useful for the design of next generation microelectronic devices.