GOALI: Optimization of Ion Beam Extraction - Enabling Technology for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication

这个项目将使人们对如何产生用于改进硅晶圆加工的离子束有一个基本的了解。现代电子时代的核心硅芯片是由数百万到数十亿个非常小的人造结构组成的。为了在电子上发挥作用，这些结构必须具有传导电子的能力，并且必须通过纳米级加工过程进行物理构造。这两种过程都依赖于等离子体（非常热的气体，其原子被分解成带正电的离子和带负电的电子）与硅片相互作用。等离子体切割或蚀刻硅来制造结构；等离子体产生的电场将高速离子嵌入硅中，从而改变硅的电阻。这个项目的重点是一种新的设备，可以产生用于制造过程的离子束。这是西弗吉尼亚大学（WVU）的科学家和瓦里安半导体设备公司（应用材料公司的一个业务部门）的合作伙伴关系。利用WVU开发的诊断工具和工业处理工具，该团队将研究工具中离子束形成的过程，以改善纳米级计算和存储设备的三维处理。此外，该项目支持在基础和应用等离子体物理协同结合的研究环境中培养研究生和本科生；提高妇女和少数民族获得物理学高级学位的比例；通过参与前沿的研究活动，吸引高素质的本科生进入物理学领域；并支持一项扩展到西弗吉尼亚州一半以上县的STEM教育计划。虽然从孔径鞘层中提取离子是许多技术的关键部分，但在等离子体加工工具的紧凑几何形状中直接测量光束特性是有问题的。该项目的目标是对应用材料公司新型离子注入工具的光束特性与光束源的关键控制参数和几何形状的依赖关系有一个基本的了解。反过来，这将使整个离子注入系统的验证，预测模型的创建成为可能。在这些研究中要解决的具体科学问题将解决长期存在的关于从边界鞘中提取离子束的问题，从而将推动离子束技术的最新发展。

This project will lead to developing a basic understanding of how to create beams of ions to be used to improve silicon wafer processing. The silicon chips at the heart of the modern age of electronics are comprised of millions to billions of very small manufactured structures. To function electronically, these structures have to have their ability to conduct electrons modified and they have to be physically constructed through a nanoscale machining process. Both of these processes rely on having plasmas (very hot gasses whose atoms have been broken up into positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons) interact with the silicon wafer. The plasmas cut through, or etch, the silicon to create the structures; and electric fields created by the plasma embed high speed ions into the silicon to change the electrical resistance of the silicon. This project focuses on a new device that creates beams of ions to be used in this manufacturing process. It is a partnership between scientists at West Virginia University (WVU) and Varian Semiconductor Equipment - a business unit of Applied Materials Corporation. Using diagnostics developed at WVU and an industrial processing tool, the team will investigate the process of ion beam formation in the tool in order to improve the three-dimensional processing of nanoscale computing and memory devices. In addition, this project supports the training of graduate and undergraduate students in a research environment that synergistically combines basic and applied plasma physics; improves the percentage of women and minorities obtaining advanced degrees in physics; attracts high quality undergraduates into physics through involvement in cutting-edge research activities; and supports a STEM education initiative that extends to over half the counties in West Virginia. While the extraction of ions from aperture sheaths is a key part of many technologies, the direct measurement of beam properties in the compact geometries of plasma processing tools is problematic. The goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of the dependence of beam properties of Applied Materials new ion implantation tool on the key control parameters and geometry of the beam source. This, in turn, will enable creation of validated, predictive models of the entire ion implantation system. The specific scientific questions to be addressed in these studies will resolve long-standing questions concerning the extraction of ion beams from boundary sheaths and will thereby advance the state-of-the-art in ion beam technology.