EM Radiation Deposition for Low-Defect Semiconductor Layers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices continue to integrate more components into smaller areas, challenges arise from reduced minimum feature sizes, including increased defect levels and impurities in deposited layers, which affect the quality and reliability of electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A deposition system utilizing electromagnetic radiation sources, such as UV or laser sources, to dissociate and excite precursor materials within a chamber, allowing for precise control of the deposition process to achieve void-free, seam-free, and low-defect layers by tuning parameters like EM radiation intensity and wavelength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If minimum feature size is reduced to increase integration density, then more components can be integrated into a given area, but defect levels and impurities in deposited layers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs electromagnetic radiation with specific wavelengths and intensities to modify the deposition process parameters. By tuning the EM radiation parameters, the system achieves precise control over material deposition, reducing defects and impurities while maintaining high integration density. This allows continued scaling to smaller feature sizes without proportionally increasing defect levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional thermal or plasma-based deposition mechanisms with electromagnetic radiation-driven deposition. This substitution enables more precise energy delivery and material dissociation, resulting in cleaner deposition processes that produce layers with fewer defects and impurities, thereby maintaining reliability as integration density increases.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional deposition methods are used, then the process is simpler, but the deposited layers contain more impurities and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic radiation source serves multiple functions: it dissociates precursor materials, provides energy for deposition, and can be tuned to control various aspects of the deposition process. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high layer quality without requiring multiple separate process steps, thereby maintaining reasonable process simplicity while dramatically improving manufacturing precision and reducing impurities.
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
The solution enables the deposition of high-quality layers with reduced impurities and defects, improving the integration density and reliability of semiconductor devices by precisely controlling the composition and structure of deposited materials.
Implementation Method 1
A deposition system utilizes electromagnetic radiation sources, such as UV or laser sources, to dissociate and excite precursor materials within a chamber
Implementation Method 2
A plasma is generated from the precursor material in the chamber, wherein the plasma comprises dissociated components of the precursor material
Data Source
AI summary
A deposition apparatus and a method are provided. A method includes placing a substrate over a platform in a chamber of a deposition system. A precursor material is introduced into the chamber. A first gas curtain is generated in front of a first electromagnetic (EM) radiation source coupled to the chamber. A plasma is generated from the precursor material in the chamber, wherein the plasma comprises dissociated components of the precursor material. The plasma is subjected to a first EM radiation from the first EM radiation source. The first EM radiation further dissociates the precursor material. A layer is deposited over the substrate. The layer includes a reaction product of the dissociated components of the precursor material.