GOALI: Fundamental Approaches to Atomic Layer Etching

目标：原子层蚀刻的基本方法

• 批准号: 1609973
• 负责人: S. Ismat Shah
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: University of Delaware
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1609973&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GOALI; Fundamental; Approaches; Atomic; Layer

NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT:This project will develop the science and technology for etching metallic films one atomic later at a time. This know-how is most important in the field of memory devices, specifically based on magnetic principles used in computers, digital cameras, mobile phones and other similar devices. These devices based on the technology developed should demonstrate lower power consumption, smaller sizes, and lower cost of production compared to the other modern alternatives. However, to achieve this goal, very high level of control over making very thin metallic layers is necessary. The thickness of these layers must be highly reproducible to ensure reliable memory performance. For the metal components required, it is difficult to deposit them by traditional methods; however, it is possible to deposit relatively thick layers of these materials and then partially etch them away with the atomic layer precision. In addition to the obvious advantages of capabilities to make simpler, cheaper, faster, and more reliable memory devices this work can affect a wide variety of the systems that are at the core of national interests, including aerospace and military systems, image storage and analysis, data logging and many other applications. The combination of university and industrial research in this grant will offer special educational and training opportunities to the students and facilitate this development to reach the marketplace more quickly.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT:This GOALI project will target new approaches for removal of deposited metals in a layer-by-layer manner through atomic layer etching (ALEt). One of the prime targets for potential application of ALEt is in the field of Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM). Atomic Layer Etching (ALEt) requires reacting a metallic surface with a precursor molecule that saturates the surface and reduces the binding of the first layer of atoms to the bulk. A second input, be it chemical, energetic, or some combination of the two, will cause the first layer of metal atoms (with their associated ligands) to desorb. The second layer of atoms will now be exposed to the saturating precursor, followed by the desorption steps. As the process proceeds, the atoms will be removed from the surface layer by layer. Fe, Co, Ni, and Pt thin films deposited on a Si substrate will be used as the initial targets. The experimental approach will take two tracks. First, model systems will be designed, modeled, and tested. This approach will build on the understanding obtained through studying atomic layer deposition (ALD). A suite of surface characterization techniques will be coupled with high-resolution microscopies to understand these processes at the atomic level. In the second approach, work with American Air Liquide will study the ALEt process in manufacturing systems including temperature controlled wafer chucks, mass flow controllers for the reactants, and plasma sources. These systems will also be equipped so that the ALEt process can be monitored in operando. A model processing system will be constructed at the University of Delaware so that the composition and chemistry of the surface can be studied at any point in the process, in-situ studies. At the end of the proposal, working processes for various materials, including those of importance in MRAM application, will be developed. A deeper understanding of the physical components of the ALEt process will also be achieved.

摘要：本项目将逐步发展金属薄膜的原子蚀刻技术。这种专有技术在存储设备领域最为重要，特别是基于计算机、数码相机、移动电话和其他类似设备中使用的磁性原理。与其他现代替代品相比，基于该技术开发的这些设备应该显示出更低的功耗、更小的尺寸和更低的生产成本。然而，要实现这一目标，必须对制造非常薄的金属层进行非常高的控制。这些层的厚度必须是高度可重复的，以确保可靠的存储性能。对于所需的金属部件，采用传统方法很难进行沉积；然而，有可能沉积相对较厚的这些材料层，然后以原子层精度部分蚀刻它们。除了制造更简单、更便宜、更快和更可靠的存储设备的明显优势外，这项工作还可以影响到国家利益核心的各种系统，包括航空航天和军事系统、图像存储和分析、数据记录和许多其他应用。这项资助将大学和工业研究结合起来，为学生提供特殊的教育和培训机会，并促进这种发展，使其更快地进入市场。技术摘要：该GOALI项目旨在通过原子层蚀刻（ALEt）逐层去除沉积金属的新方法。磁随机存取存储器（MRAM）是ALEt潜在应用的主要领域之一。原子层蚀刻（ALEt）需要金属表面与前体分子反应，使表面饱和并减少第一层原子与体的结合。第二个输入，无论是化学的、能量的，还是两者的某种结合，都会导致第一层金属原子（及其相关的配体）解吸。第二层原子现在将暴露在饱和前驱体中，接着是解吸步骤。随着这个过程的进行，原子将一层一层地从表面去除。沉积在Si衬底上的Fe， Co， Ni和Pt薄膜将被用作初始目标。这种实验性的方法将采取两条轨道。首先，模型系统将被设计、建模和测试。这种方法将建立在通过研究原子层沉积（ALD）获得的理解的基础上。一套表面表征技术将与高分辨率显微镜相结合，以在原子水平上理解这些过程。在第二种方法中，与美国液化空气集团的合作将研究制造系统中的ALEt过程，包括温度控制的晶圆夹头，反应物的质量流量控制器和等离子体源。这些系统还将配备，以便在操作过程中监测ALEt过程。特拉华大学将建立一个模型处理系统，以便可以在过程中的任何一点进行现场研究，研究表面的成分和化学成分。在提案的最后，将开发各种材料的工作流程，包括在MRAM应用中重要的工作流程。对ALEt过程的物理组件也将有更深入的了解。