Design, Synthesis and ALD Assessment of Organometallic Precursors for Semiconductor Applications

While transistors continue scaling in both density and performance and as technological improvements allows dramatic cost reduction, the utilization of most performing transistors also requires most effective interconnects. The delays in interconnects are increasingly contributing to the overall circuit delays in a severe manner as dimensions shrink. New challenges are thus arising in processes for scaling and integration needed to obtain the required performances, including the usage of novel architectures at a change of semiconductor nodes. For example, one announced the implementation of FinFET structures, with the usage of vertical transistors, at 22nm, and several other players will follow ; ST Microelectronics and associated partners were successful in the implementation of FDSOI technology.

The new associated manufacturing challenges, especially the needs to deposit more conformal metallic thin films, can be translated as new opportunities to introduce the usage of organometallic materials in electronic industry. In order to perform that transition effectively for all the stakeholders involved, synergetic interactions need to occur between the chemical solution supplier that provides a new organometallic molecule and the corresponding screening test results, the equipment manufacturers that adapt and fine tune the process to the specification to its reactor and the chip manufacturers that validate the process and work on integration aspects.