Reversible Tuning of Surface Chemical Reactivity in Thin Solid Films

在大分子，超分子和纳米化学计划的支持下，特拉华州大学化学系的Tejerakov教授和同事将建立一种新的策略来控制薄固体膜沉积过程中形成的表面和界面的化学和物理性质。 由于固体薄膜在各种应用中的重要性（从涂层技术到电路制造），这种方法将为进一步改进此类工艺提供平台。 在沉积期间和之后促进和抑制某些表面反应将产生可控的表面元素组成，而该组成与表面官能化一起将提供可调的化学响应，这在膜生产的不同阶段是重要的。这种基本的，分子水平的方法的一个固有的优势是，从调查中获得的洞察力可以投射到目前尚未完全开发的其他应用，如分子电子学和混合有机/无机器件。的基本前提是基于理解的化学功能的表面预处理的膜生长和膜的表面上产生的反应性相对于进一步所需的化学过程的影响。与传统表面功能化方法的主要概念差异在于理解表面对这些官能团的反应性的影响。大部分工作将集中在微电子学中使用的半导体表面和薄膜上，但这项研究的结果将扩展到其他系统的操作。各个层次的学生都将参与到这项工作中来，Tejiakov教授将为对学术事业感兴趣的研究生和博士后学生建立一个大学范围的指导计划。随着电子设备尺寸的不断缩小，必须开发新的和更有效的材料来作为金属导体和半导体之间的绝缘屏障。 本项目将研究由钛和钽的碳化物和氮化物制成的非常薄的层的形成和生长的基本机制。 这些材料为集成电路中的阻挡层提供了许多优点，这项研究将有助于下一代微电子器件的开发。

With the support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry program, Professor Teplyakov and coworkers in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware will establish a novel strategy to control chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces formed during deposition of thin solid films. Due to the importance of thin solid films in a wide variety of applications (ranging from coating technology to circuit fabrication), this approach will provide a platform for further improvement of such processes. Promoting and suppressing certain surface reactions during and after the deposition will yield a controllable surface elemental composition, while this composition together with surface functionalization will provide a tunable chemical response, which is important at different stages of film production. An inherent advantage of this fundamental, molecular-level approach is that the insight obtained from the investigation can be projected towards other applications not fully developed at present, such as molecular electronics and hybrid organic/inorganic devices. The fundamental premise is based on understanding the effects of the chemical functionality of surfaces pretreated for film growth and of the surfaces of films produced on the reactivity with respect to further desired chemical process. The major conceptual difference from traditional approaches to surface functionalization is in understanding the effects of the surface on the reactivity of these functional groups. Most of the work will focus on the semiconductor surfaces and films used in microelectronics but the findings of this research will be extended towards manipulation of other systems. Students at all levels will be involved in the effort, and Professor Teplyakov will establish a university wide mentoring program for graduate and postdoctoral students interested in academic careers.With the continued reduction in the size of our electronic devices, new and more efficient materials must be developed to serve as insulating barriers between metallic conductors and semiconductors. This project will examine the fundamental mechanisms of the formation and growth of very thin layers made of titanium and tantalum carbide and nitride compounds. These materials offer many advantages for barriers in integrated circuits, and this study will help in the development of next generation microelectronic devices.