Materials World Network: Design, Growth, and Properties of Boron-based Thin Films for Electronics and Nanosized Electronics

这个材料世界网络项目是德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校和卢森堡公共-加布里埃尔·李普曼研究中心的材料分析实验室之间的联合研究和教育活动，旨在探索超薄非晶薄膜是如何在化学和物理沉积方法中形成的，以及它们是如何发挥作用的。研究探索硼-碳-氮（B-C-N）三元化合物，因为这种非氧化陶瓷材料可以在不同的组成和键合下生长，从而影响薄膜材料的性能。超薄膜在微电子器件封装应用中具有相当大的潜力，可以作为铜的扩散屏障，在纳米电子学应用中可以作为纳米线器件的钝化膜。有了这个奖项，德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的研究团队将研究：1)薄膜内的分子键和控制屏障和扩散特性的界面；2)在什么厚度上膜变得连续，在什么厚度上膜停止作为屏障的作用；3)氧化物、半导体和金属表面的非晶膜是如何成核和生长的；4)薄膜内部和与半导体界面的化学键的性质如何影响界面陷阱和载流子迁移率。卢森堡的研究团队将研究：1)产生介电常数可调的非晶与晶体薄膜的物理沉积条件；2)铜在薄膜中的扩散机理；3)开发表征2-5 nm厚薄膜材料性能的方法；4)增强薄膜与铜、钴、钨、钽等金属之间结合的方法。由于碳氮化硼三元化合物可以通过可变组成和键合来生长或加工，因此它们的材料性能可以调整，包括结晶度、微观结构、硬度、摩擦学、光学、场发射、导热系数和介电常数。这些材料特性使它们成为微电子和纳米电子应用的理想选择。该奖项将支持德克萨斯大学研究生的教学和培训，以及他们前往卢森堡参加由那里的科学家指导的研究活动。这些活动以及从卢森堡到德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的学生和教师计划的研究活动将使学生和教师接触到不同的科学学科和文化，并使他们意识到科学活动的不同方法以及如何解决科学问题。计划举行年度联合审查会议，以促进合作、对话和思想交流。美国学生将指导本科生进行为期一个学期的开放式研究项目，并将开发一个展览，解释推动这项研究的革命性和当前设备，如传感器和微电子，并向公众和大学预科学生介绍这些概念。该展览将通过德克萨斯大学赞助的各种场所进行展示。

This Materials World Network project is a joint research and education activity between the University of Texas at Austin and the Materials Analysis Laboratory of the Centre de Recherche Public-Gabriel Lippmann in Luxembourg that explores how ultra thin amorphous films are formed in chemical and physical deposition approaches and how they function. The studies explore boron-carbon-nitrogen (B-C-N) ternary compounds because this nonoxidic ceramic material can be grown with variable composition and bonding, which in turn affect the thin film materials properties. The ultra thin films have considerable potential in micro-electronics device packaging applications as a diffusion barrier to copper and in nanoelectronics applications as a passivating film for nanowire-based devices. With this award, the research team at the University of Texas at Austin will study: 1) molecular bonding within the film and at the interface that controls the barrier and diffusion properties; 2) at what thickness the films become continuous and at what thickness the films cease to function as a barrier; 3) how the amorphous films nucleate and grow from oxide, semiconductor and metal surfaces; and 4) how the nature of the chemical bonding within the film and at the interface with semiconductors affects interface traps and carrier mobility. The research team in Luxembourg will study: 1) physical deposition conditions that would lead to amorphous versus crystalline films with tunable dielectric constants; 2) copper diffusion mechanisms in the films; 3) developing methods to characterize the material properties of 2-5 nm thick films; and 4) approaches to enhance bonding between the films and metals such as copper, cobalt, tungsten and tantalum. %%%Since boron carbonitride ternary compounds can potentially be grown or processed with variable composition and bonding, their material properties could be adjusted including crystallinity, microstructure, hardness, tribological, optical, field emission, thermal conductivity, and dielectric constant. These material properties make them ideal for microelectronic and nanoelectronic applications. This award will support the teaching and training of graduate students at Texas, and their travel to Luxembourg for research activities mentored by scientists there. These activities along with planned research activities of students and faculty from Luxembourg to University of Texas at Austin will expose the students and faculty to different scientific disciplines and cultures, and make them aware of different approaches to scientific activities and how to resolve scientific problems. Annual joint review meetings are planned to foster collaboration, dialog and exchange of ideas. The US students will mentor undergraduates in open-ended research projects lasting an academic term and will develop an exhibit that would explain the revolutionary and current devices that motivate this research, such as sensors and microelectronics, and introduces these concepts to the general public and to pre-college students. The exhibit will be presented and displayed through a variety of University of Texas sponsored venues.