Patterned Layer Deposition Using Local Irradiation and Annealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor deposition technologies, such as CVD and ALD, face challenges in achieving high-quality deposition at low temperatures and high throughput, as they often require high temperatures that can damage previously deposited layers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving irradiation to locally drive the deposition process and subsequent annealing to modify the deposited material, allowing for the formation of patterned layers at lower temperatures and increased throughput. This method includes using different radiation sources for deposition and annealing, and employing radiation with wavelengths less than 100 nm in combination with electron beams or laser radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high temperature deposition is used to achieve high quality deposited material, then the quality of deposited material is improved, but previously deposited layers are damaged or degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The process is divided into two separate steps: a low-temperature deposition step that forms the material layer without damaging underlying layers, followed by a localized annealing step that improves material quality only in the patterned regions. This segmentation allows each step to operate under optimal conditions without causing harm to other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The deposition step is performed first at low temperature to form the material layer, preparing it for subsequent quality improvement. The preliminary deposited layer serves as a foundation that can later be enhanced through localized annealing without requiring the entire structure to withstand high temperatures during deposition.
2Manufacturing precision
If high temperature deposition is used to achieve high quality deposited material, then the quality of deposited material is improved, but the range of previously deposited layers that can be used is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the deposition and quality-improvement functions into distinct steps, the process can accommodate a wider variety of underlying layers. The low-temperature deposition step does not impose thermal constraints on previously deposited layers, while the subsequent localized annealing provides the necessary quality enhancement only where needed.
3Productivity
If conventional deposition processes are configured to deposit material quickly, then throughput is improved, but the quality of deposited material deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The quality improvement function is separated from the deposition step and assigned to a subsequent localized annealing step. This allows the deposition step to be optimized for speed and throughput without compromising final material quality, as the annealing step will enhance the material properties after rapid deposition is complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The rapid deposition step performs the preliminary action of forming the material layer quickly, and the subsequent annealing step completes the quality enhancement. This preliminary-decompletion structure allows each step to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If localized heating is used to anneal deposited material, then the risk of damaging previously deposited layers is reduced, but the throughput of the annealing process is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The annealing process uses periodic or pulsed heating applied to different regions of the substrate in sequence. This allows the system to maintain high localized temperatures for quality improvement while keeping other regions at lower temperatures, balancing material quality enhancement with protection of underlying layers and improved process throughput.
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 method enables the production of high-quality patterned layers with increased crystallinity, reduces the risk of damaging previously deposited layers, and enhances manufacturing throughput by allowing deposition at lower temperatures and with more flexible irradiation configurations.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating a selected portion of a surface of a substrate with radiation from a radiation source during a deposition process, the irradiation being such as to locally drive the deposition process in the selected portion
Implementation Method 2
annealing the deposited material to modify the deposited material
Implementation Method 3
a first step in which all of the substrate is preheated to a target temperature above room temperature; and a second step, subsequent to the first step, in which a selected local region of the substrate is heated to a temperature above the target temperature
Implementation Method 4
radiation having a wavelength of less than 100 nm in combination with one or more of the following: an electron beam
Implementation Method 5
radiation having a wavelength of less than 100 nm in combination with one or more of the following: an electron beam; radiation having a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 400 nm; and laser radiation
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for forming a patterned layer of material are disclosed. In one arrangement, a selected portion of a surface of a substrate is irradiated during a deposition process, the irradiation being such as to locally drive the deposition process in the selected portion to form a layer of deposited material in a pattern defined by the selected portion. The deposited material is annealed to modify the deposited material.