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

在分析和表面化学计划的支持下，特拉华大学化学系的特普利亚科夫教授和同事们正在研究钛和碳化钽/氮化物超薄阻挡层的成核和生长。用原位和非原位表面光谱和显微方法研究了金属有机前驱体的生长，并对这些薄膜的电子结构和生长过程进行了计算模拟。这项工作的重点是从根本上了解阻挡层生长的机制，以及这些阻挡层中污染物的控制。这种基本的理解将有助于设计越来越小的电子设备的微电子设备制造工艺。随着电子设备尺寸的缩小，金属导体和有源半导体之间的扩散障碍必须变得更薄、更有效，才能使这些设备正常工作。该项目支持的研究考察了以钛、碳化钽和氮化物为基础的非常薄的层的形成和生长的基本机制，这些化合物可以用作这些器件的阻挡层。这些基本信息将对下一代微电子器件的设计有用。

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.