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Supercritical Fluid Immersion Deposition of Metal Films on Semiconductor


EMSL Project ID
2308

Abstract

Objective: Currently one challenging issue in electronic industry is filling trenches and small features for interconnection. However, conventional CVD process can't accomplish this purpose. Supercritical fluids (SCFs) are both liquid-like and gas-like. Like liquid, they can dissolve reactants; like gas, they exhibit high diffusivity and uniformity. The high pressure of supercritical fluid, along with the high diffusivity and uniformity, helps to deliver reactants to trenches and small features, thus depositing thin metal films in these small areas. The objective of our project is to produce thin metal films on semiconductor substrates or inside porous solids by using SCF solutions. Approach: The method we are developing is called SCF immersion deposition process. Precursors are first dissolved in SCF to make SCF solution. The SCF solution is then passed into a depositing chamber where a semiconductor substrate is loaded. When the SCF solution merges the substrate, redox reactions occur on the surface, depositing thin metal films on the substrate. Specific Instruments: SEM for analyzing the morphology of the metal film and the size of the particle in the film; XPS and AES for measuring film composition and valence states of elements.

Project Details

Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2001-08-06
End Date
2003-08-29
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Xiang-Rong Ye
Institution
University of California, San Diego

Related Publications

Moore JE, SM Morton, and L Jensen. 2012. "Importance of Correctly Describing Charge-Transfer Excitations for Understanding the Chemical Effect in SERS." The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 3(17):2470–2475. doi:10.1021/jz300492p