GOALI: An Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition Process for Scalable Nanomanufacturing of On-chip Copper-based Interconnects

GOALI：用于可扩展纳米制造片上铜基互连的电化学原子层沉积工艺

• 批准号: 1461557
• 负责人: Rohan Akolkar
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Case Western Reserve University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-05-01 至 2019-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1461557&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GOALI; Electrochemical; Atomic; Layer; Deposition

Advanced nanoelectronic circuits in microprocessors and memory devices utilize current-carrying copper interconnects. In modern devices, interconnect widths routinely approach a few tens of nanometers. However, the need for high interconnect packing density in high-performance computing drives a commensurate shrinking in the interconnect width in accordance with Moore's law. By the year 2020, interconnect widths are expected to shrink well below ten nanometers. A critical hurdle in driving such aggressive interconnect size reduction is the unavailability of an interconnect fabrication process with the following attributes: (i) Unprecedented atomic-level control needed to manipulate materials at the nanometer scale or below; and (ii) Ease of scale-up and integration with large-area substrates yielding reliable, low-cost manufacturability. This Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) Program award will explore a novel approach towards nano-scale interconnect fabrication with the aforementioned attributes. This is critical for safeguarding Moore's law and for ensuring that the US semiconductor industry continues to maintain technological leadership in advanced nanoelectronics. This research will have broad impacts not just in the field of nanoelectronics, but also in many other areas central to the US economy and society, such as advanced energy systems and environmental remediation. In addition to enabling breakthroughs in scalable nanomanufacturing, this research will provide experiential engineering education and professional development to the next generation of scientists and engineers highly sought after by the US industry.The goal of the project is to study a novel electrochemical atomic layer deposition (e-ALD) process for the scalable nanomanufacturing of copper and copper-alloy interconnects. In spite of its enormous potential, state-of-the-art electrochemical atomic layer deposition of copper has not reached commercial viability primarily due to its low throughput, use of toxic metals, such as lead, and its inability to fabricate specific copper-alloys of relevance to nanoelectronic applications. To overcome these barriers, a 'one-step' lead-free electrochemical atomic layer deposition process will be investigated. Through fundamental characterization of the interplay between the electrode potential and the electrolyte chemistry, and through use of novel, environmentally benign electrolyte components, one-step deposition of copper and copper-alloy nano-films will be achieved. The project will eliminate a key technological roadblock in industrial-scale implementation of electrochemical atomic layer deposition technology for the metallization of nano-scale copper interconnects. An inter-disciplinary team of academic and industrial scientists will collaborate on the research through the exchange of knowledge in cutting-edge electrochemistry and advanced nanoelectronics.

微处理器和存储器设备中的高级纳米电子电路利用载流铜互连。在现代器件中，互连宽度通常接近几十纳米。然而，在高性能计算中对高互连封装密度的需要根据摩尔定律驱动互连宽度的相应收缩。到2020年，互连宽度预计将缩小到10纳米以下。驱动这种积极的互连尺寸减小的关键障碍是具有以下属性的互连制造工艺的不可用性：（i）在纳米尺度或更低尺度下操纵材料所需的前所未有的原子级控制;以及（ii）易于放大和与大面积衬底集成，从而产生可靠的、低成本的可制造性。这个学术与工业联络（GOALI）计划奖的资助机会将探索具有上述属性的纳米级互连制造的新方法。这对于维护摩尔定律和确保美国半导体行业继续保持先进纳米电子技术的领先地位至关重要。这项研究将产生广泛的影响，不仅在纳米电子领域，而且在许多其他领域的核心美国经济和社会，如先进的能源系统和环境修复。除了在可扩展的纳米制造方面取得突破外，这项研究还将为美国工业界高度追捧的下一代科学家和工程师提供经验式的工程教育和专业发展。该项目的目标是研究一种新型的电化学原子层沉积（e-ALD）工艺，用于铜和铜合金互连的可扩展纳米制造。尽管铜的电化学原子层沉积具有巨大的潜力，但其尚未达到商业可行性，这主要是由于其低产量、使用有毒金属（例如铅）以及其不能制造与纳米电子应用相关的特定铜合金。为了克服这些障碍，一个“一步”无铅电化学原子层沉积过程将被调查。通过对电极电势和电解质化学之间的相互作用的基本表征，以及通过使用新颖的、环境友好的电解质组分，将实现铜和铜合金纳米膜的一步沉积。该项目将消除工业规模实施电化学原子层沉积技术的关键技术障碍，用于纳米级铜互连的金属化。一个由学术和工业科学家组成的跨学科团队将通过交流尖端电化学和先进纳米电子学的知识来合作研究。