Scientific LSI Processing for Intelligent Electronic Systems

我们已经提出了基于称为flexware的新概念电子电路的智能电子系统，flexware是像人脑一样的新概念柔性硬件。为了实现新的电子系统，我们在首席研究员的领导下，开发了基于超清洁技术的高精度高性能半导体制造技术。首先，我们用科学的观点研究了半导体工艺中的基本问题，并阐明了工艺系统所需的条件。我们发明并开发了满足必要条件的新型两种等离子体工艺系统。一个是微波等离子体工艺系统，利用径向线缝隙天线等离子体CVD，氧化，氮化，和光致抗蚀剂灰化工艺，另一个是平衡的电子漂移磁控管等离子体工艺系统的反应离子蚀刻和溅射沉积工艺。这项工作开发的微波等离子体激发技术具有划时代的意义，因为它能够产生具有相当低电子温度的理想大面积均匀等离子体。我们采用基于新型等离子体激发技术和超净技术的新型工艺设备，对硅表面进行了直接氧化和氮化处理。结果，我们成功地在400℃的极低温度下形成了优良的栅氧化膜，其性能优于在1000℃下通过常规热氧化形成的栅氧化膜，并且在400℃的低温下形成了具有优良电特性的高完整性栅氮化物膜。这些新技术使总低温处理温度低于500℃，并为实现基于超高性能器件的智能电子系统铺平了道路。

We have proposed intelligent electronic systems based on new concept electronic circuits called flexware, which is new concept flexible hardware like a human brain. To realize the new electronic systems we have developed high-precision high-performance semiconductor manufacturing technologies based on ultra clean technology led by the head investigator. At first, we investigated the essential problems in semiconductor processing with a scientific point of view and clarified the conditions necessary for the process systems. We invented and developed novel two plasma process systems fulfilling the essential conditions. One was microwave plasma process system utilizing a radial line slot antenna for plasma CVD, oxidation, nitridation, and photo-resist ashing processes, the other was balanced electron drift magnetron plasma process system for reactive ion etching and sputter deposition processes. Microwave plasma excitation technique developed in this work was epoch-making since it enabled to generate ideal large-area uniform plasmas with fairly low electron temperatures. We have developed direct oxidation and nitridation on silicon surfaces with the novel process equipment based on the new plasma excitation technology and the ultra clean technology. As a result, we succeeded to form excellent gate oxide films at extremely low temperature of 400℃ with better properties than those formed by conventional thermal oxidation at 1000℃ and high-integrity gate nitride films at low temperature of 400℃ with excellent electric characteristics. The new technologies enabled total low temperature processing below 500℃ and made way to realize the intelligent electronic systems base don the ultra high performance devices.