MRI: Acquisition of Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PEALD) for Extremely Conformal Deposition of Metal and Nitride Films on 3D-Nanostructure Devices

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This award provides funding to acquire an atomic layer deposition system at the University of Texas in Dallas to enable fundamental research in three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure devices. The acquisition of the instrument will foster a wide range of research activities spanning nanoelectronics, energy storage, photonics and biomedical devices. The proposed tool will advance the research capabilities by providing conformal metal and nitride deposition on complex 3D and temperature sensitive substrates. Metals and nitrides are the building blocks of many device architectures, and these materials serve to enable robust performance and integrity in real world applications. The instrument facilitates highly conformal deposition on high-aspect ratio structures, that are ubiquitous with novel device structures and could be tailored to meet the specifications dictated by end usage. This system will be instrumental in shaping and training graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, post-docs, and scientists invested in nano-device research, encompassing a substantial number of underrepresented minority and women in STEM. A fringe benefit would be the availability of properly trained task force for employment opportunities in the field of semiconductor technology and device processing in the rapidly growing Dallas-DFW metroplex area and the US.The plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) system utilizes a remote plasma to generate high energy radicals while minimizing plasma damage on sensitive substrates and enabling nitride and metal deposition at low temperatures. The coating ability is enhanced by increasing the pressure and exposure time in the reaction chamber using a unique diffusion enhancer. This system provides unprecedented capability for uniform deposition on highly porous substrates with aspect ratio up to 1:10,000. It is also useful in designing next-generation 3D structured nano-devices. For example, advanced 3D stacked semiconductor devices, ultra-high density energy storage devices, gain-assisted hyperbolic metamaterials for super-resolution imaging, and shape-morphing 3D elastomer bio/med-devices, etc. require conformal metal and dielectric coating, that can be deposited by PE-ALD. This new PE-ALD system will also support the research projects in numerous flourishing and established electronic/medical device companies nationwide.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.