SBIR Phase II: Aqueous Precursors for High Performance Metal Oxide Thin Films

该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目旨在开发用于极高耐蚀刻蚀图案传输层(硬掩模)的旋涂液体前驱体，以实现先进集成电路制造中的新型器件。该方法是使用在第一阶段项目中展示的全无机金属氧化物介电前体，为光刻旋转硬掩模层提供无与伦比的刻蚀选择性。这种材料使得未来几代器件所需的新架构和深刻蚀成为可能，这些新结构和深刻蚀需要越来越复杂的材料集成，以弥补传统有机图案材料有限的刻蚀选择性。预期的结果是一种或多种无机旋转式硬掩模材料，准备好扩大规模生产。该项目的更广泛的商业影响将是提供材料来改善尺寸在22纳米以下的集成电路器件的性能。该项目解决了国际半导体技术路线图中与未来高性能电子设备的图案化要求相关的关键挑战。水性前体是由环境友好的原料合成的，因此与传统的有机材料相比，减少了对环境的影响。该项目开发的材料和低温工艺也将为电子、能源和光学涂层的更广泛应用奠定基础。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop spin-coatable liquid precursors for extremely high etch resistance pattern transfer layers (hardmasks) to enable novel devices in advanced integrated circuit manufacturing. The approach is to employ the fully inorganic metal oxide dielectric precursors demonstrated during the Phase I project to provide unparalleled etch selectivity for lithography spin-on hardmask layers. Such materials enable new architectures and deep etches required for future device generations which demand increasingly complex integration of materials to compensate for the limited etch selectivity of conventional organic patterning materials. The expected outcome is one or more inorganic spin-on hardmask materials ready for scale up to manufacturing. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide materials to improve performance of integrated circuit devices manufactured at dimensions below 22 nm. This project addresses key challenges in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors related to patterning requirements for future high performance electronic devices. The aqueous precursors are synthesized from environmentally benign raw materials, thereby reducing the environmental impact relative to conventional organic materials. The materials and low temperature processes developed in this project will also lay the foundation for broader applications in electronics, energy, and optical coatings.