The Plasma Physics of Metal-Nitride Deposition of IntegratedCircuit Barrier Layers using Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition

9712988霍普伍德该项目旨在发展的高密度等离子体组成的金属蒸气和氮气的基本理解，并通过建模，等离子体诊断和薄膜表征等离子体沉积系统进行调查。建模工作的目的是提供物理理解和分析工具，以改善在ULSI电路中使用的TiN和TaN阻挡层的沉积。等离子体物质密度的物理诊断将与建模阶段并行。气相滴定，能量和质谱，朗缪尔探针和光学发射光谱的金属-N2等离子体的计划。沉积膜质量的分析将提供等离子体和膜性质之间的相关性。该项目是多学科的，将基础等离子体科学研究与表面材料科学合成和加工研究相结合，以解决具有强大技术相关性和高潜在回报的热门领域的前沿问题。 该研究将为先进电子/光子器件和集成电路的几个方面提供基础等离子体和材料科学知识。该计划的一个重要特点是通过在一个基本和技术上重要的领域对学生进行培训来整合研究和教育。该研究对技术基础设施的影响很大，因为该项目集中在等离子体科学和工程的三个关键领域的交叉点：高密度等离子体源，金属氮化物等离子体化学环境中的溅射工艺，以及先进微电子技术的薄膜阻挡层沉积。为了提高对基础研究和等离子体科学的兴趣，一名本科合作学生将与PI和两名研究生合作。***

9712988 Hopwood This project seeks to develop a fundamental understanding of high-density plasmas composed of metal vapor and nitrogen, and investigates a plasma deposition system through modeling, plasma diagnostics, and thin film characterization. The modeling effort aims to provide both physical understanding and analytical tools for improving the deposition of TiN and TaN barrier layers utilized in ULSI circuits. Physical diagnostics of the density of plasma species will parallel the modeling phase. Gas phase titration, energy and mass spectroscopy, Langmuir probes and optical emission spectroscopy of the metal-N2 plasma are planned. Analysis of deposited film quality will provide correlation between plasma and film properties. %%% The project is multidisciplinary combining fundamental plasma science research with surface materials science synthesis and processing studies to address forefront issues in a topical area of strong technological relevance and high potential payoff. The research will contribute basic plasma and materials science knowledge at a fundamental level to several aspects of advanced electronic/photonic devices and integrated circuitry. An important feature of the program is the integration of research and education through the training of students in a fundamentally and technologically significant area. The impact of the research on the technological infrastructure is high since the project focuses at the crossroads of three critical areas in plasma science and engineering: high-density plasma sources, sputtering processes within a metal-nitride plasma chemistry environment, and deposition of thin film barrier layers for advanced microelectronics technology. To enhance an interest in fundamental research and plasma science, an undergraduate co-op student will work in concert with the PI and two graduate students. ***