Chalcogenide Thin-Film Patterning Without Wet Photolithography

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for forming material layers in semiconductor devices, particularly those sensitive to light or water, face challenges when combined with photolithography and wet processes, leading to potential deterioration of material properties.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the use of a non-photosensitive mask and a sputtering process to form a material film on a substrate, followed by heat-treatment under a specific gas atmosphere, which includes a transition metal and a chalcogen element, to enhance the material's properties and prevent deterioration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a photolithographic process with wet process is used to form a material layer, then the patterning capability is improved, but the material properties deteriorate due to light or water sensitivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatterning capabilityVSAvoidmaterial properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful elements (light and water) from the processing environment by replacing the photolithographic wet process with a dry sputtering process. This eliminates the contradiction by removing the source of material deterioration while maintaining patterning capability through physical vapor deposition methods that do not involve light exposure or liquid chemicals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the chemical-based photolithographic process with a physics-based sputtering process. Instead of using light and chemical solutions to deposit and pattern material layers, the invention uses controlled physical vapor deposition in a vacuum environment, substituting chemical interactions with physical mechanisms that preserve material properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a sputtering process is used to form a material film, then the material properties are preserved, but the crystallinity is insufficient without heat treatment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial propertiesVSAvoidcrystallinity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary heat treatment to the deposited material film to induce crystallization. By performing thermal processing after sputtering deposition, the amorphous or poorly crystalline structure is transformed into a well-defined crystalline structure, thereby improving material stability and composition without compromising the properties preserved during sputtering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transition from amorphous to crystalline state through controlled heat treatment. The thermal energy provided during heat treatment enables atoms to rearrange into ordered crystalline structures, transforming the material phase and improving crystallinity while maintaining the integrity of the material composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

3Stability of the object's composition

If heat treatment is performed at high temperature to improve crystallinity, then the crystallinity is improved, but the material may be damaged by oxidation or contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecrystallinityVSAvoidoxidation and contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs heat treatment in an inert or controlled atmosphere environment to prevent oxidation and contamination of the material during high-temperature processing. By controlling the gas environment (e.g., using inert gases or vacuum conditions), the harmful chemical reactions between the material and atmospheric components are prevented, allowing crystallinity improvement without material damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method effectively limits and prevents the deterioration of material properties, resulting in a high-quality material film with improved crystallinity, suitable for use in electronic devices.

Implementation Method 1

forming a material film on the partial region of the substrate using a sputtering process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSputtering: Sputtering

Implementation Method 2

heat-treating the substrate and the material film from which the non-photosensitive mask is removed under a first gas atmosphere

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat treatment: Heat Treatment

Implementation Method 3

heat-treating the substrate and the material film... to enhance the material's properties and prevent deterioration

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCrystallization: Crystallisation

Data Source

PatentUS12334357B2Method of forming material layer

Publication Date: 2025.06.17 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method of forming a material film includes providing a non-photosensitive mask on a substrate to expose a partial region of the substrate, forming a material film on the partial region of the substrate using a sputtering process, removing the non-photosensitive mask, and heat-treating the substrate and the material film from which the non-photosensitive mask is removed under a first gas atmosphere. The material film includes a transition metal and a chalcogen element. The sputtering process may include an RF magnetron sputtering process. The heat treatment may be performed at a higher temperature than a temperature of the forming the material film.