High aspect ratio via etch development for Cu nails in 3-D-stacked ICs

In this study the etch development of high aspect ratio vias in Si for the fabrication of Cu nails is described. To enable subsequent metallisation, these vias need to meet strict requirements with respect to uniformity, slope, sidewall roughness and undercut. For aspect ratios up to 5 a SiO₂ hard mask based SF6/O₂ etch approach is used. For aspect ratios up to 10, a resist based passivation polymer type etch approach with C4F8/SF6 was used to successfully pattern vias in Si. Typical problems of this process and optimization to overcome the issues are described.     

Silicon Nanowires Driving Miniaturization of Microelectromechanical Systems Physical Sensors: A Review

The miniaturization of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) physical sensors is driven by global connectivity needs and is closely linked to emerging digital technologies and the Internet of Things. Strong technical advantages of miniaturization such as improved sensitivity, functionality, and power consumption are accompanied by significant economic benefits due to semiconductor manufacturing. Hence, the trend to produce smaller sensors and their driving force resemble very much those of the miniaturization of integrated circuits (ICs) as described by Moore's law. In this respect, with its IC-, and MEMS-compatibility, and scalability, the silicon nanowire is frequently employed in frontier research as the sensor building block replacing conventional sensors. The integration of the silicon nanowire with MEMS has thus generated a multiscale hybrid architecture, where the silicon nanowire serves as the piezoresistive transducer and MEMS provide an interface with external forces, such as inertial or magnetic. This approach has been reported for almost all physical sensor types over the last decade. These sensors are reviewed here with detailed classification. In each case, associated technological challenges and comparisons with conventional counterparts are provided. Future directions and opportunities are highlighted.     

Comparative study on the properties of amorphous carbon layers deposited from 1-hexene and propylene for dry etch hard mask application in semiconductor device manufacturing

Amorphous carbon layers (ACLs) were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from 1-hexene (C₆H₁₂) and propylene (C₃H₆) as a carbon source at different temperatures for dry etch hard mask of semiconductor devices manufacturing process. The deposition rate of ACL deposited at 550 °C from C₆H₁₂ and C₃H₆ was 5050 Å/min and 6360 Å/min. Although the deposition rate of ACL deposited from C₆H₆ was lower than that from C₃H₆, normalized deposition rate of ACL deposited from C₆H₁₂ was 1.64 times higher than that from C₃H₆. The relative amount of hydrocarbon contents measured by FTIR (Fourier transformation infrared) and TDS (thermal desorption spectroscopy) was decreased with the increase of deposition temperature. Raman results showed that the numbers and size of graphite cluster of ACLs deposited from each source were increased with the increase of deposition temperature. The extinction coefficient of ACL deposited at 550 °C from C₆H₁₂ was 0.51 and that from C₃H₆ was 0.48. The density of ACL deposited at 550 °C from C₆H₁₂ was 1.48 g/cm³ and that from C₃H₆ was 1.45 g/cm³. The dry etching rate of ACL deposited at 550 °C from C₆H₁₂ was 1770 Å/min and that from C₃H₆ was 1840 Å/min. The deposition rate, dry etch rate and the amount of hydrocarbon contents of ACLs deposited from each carbon source were decreased with the increase of deposition temperature but extinction coefficient and density were increased with the increase of deposition temperature. We concluded that the variation behavior of the deposition characteristics and film properties of ACLs from C₆H₁₂ with the increase of deposition temperature was the same as those of ACLs from C₃H₆. The high density and low dry etch rate of ACL from C₆H₁₂ can be explained by less hydrocarbon incorporation during deposition and these properties are more favorable for the dry etch hard mask application in semiconductor device fabrication.     

Impact of critical processes on HgCdTe diode performance and yield

HgCdTe detector performance and yield are strongly dependant on CdZnTe substrate and HgCdTe epilayer properties, and on key device processes, especially for 8–12 μm application. Due to the correlation and optimization between these figures and diode performance, AIM has developed a mature HgCdTe technology for superior detector performance and high production rate. To meet high yield and performance for long wavelength (LW) HgCdTe diodes, dislocation densities of < 1 × 10^t cm⁻² both in substrate and epilayer have to be ensured. By a unique AIM substrate growth process, dislocation densities of 2 × 10⁴-9 × 10⁴ cm⁻² are achieved for all substrates and epilayers (100% yield). The etch pit density (EPD) on 〈111〉 epilayers is revealed by an AIM proprietary etching procedure. One critical effect is the dislocations in the diode area, which can originate from the substrate and epilayer growth and the subsequent device processes, respectively. Our studies have shown that device processes can cause additional dislocations in the diode area. Diode yield was clearly improved by a combination of wet and dry etching for diode contact etching.     

氟离子在铝材氧化前处理中的应用

在铝型材氧化的前处理工艺中，过去常用碱浸蚀工艺，但对于再生铝及复杂合金挤压的型材，采用碱浸蚀工艺，无法解决型材表面发灰、发暗、光泽不均等缺陷，而采用以氟离子为主的酸性抛光液进行浸蚀的工艺，则彻底解决了碱蚀工艺无法解决的铝型材氧化前处理出现的问题，并且简化了生产工艺，降低了生产成本。     

金属铝表面超疏水薄膜的构筑及减摩特性

目的改善铝基材料在干摩擦条件下的摩擦磨损性能。方法采用两步法在铝表面构筑稳定的超疏水薄膜。首先采用盐酸溶液刻蚀金属铝,在其表面构筑微纳织构;然后涂覆硬脂酸,降低表面能。利用SEM、XRD、FTIR、接触角测量仪及摩擦磨损试验机表征铝表面超疏水薄膜的表面形貌、化学组分、润湿性和减摩耐磨特性。结果 SEM及XRD分析表明,刻蚀后的铝表面呈现多尺度微纳结构。FTIR分析表明,脂肪酸以双配位结构与铝表面发生作用。接触角测试表明,所制备的薄膜呈现出良好的超疏水性能,静态接触角达150°,滑动角小于10°。摩擦学实验结果表明,制备的超疏水薄膜可明显改善铝基底的摩擦学性能,在干摩擦条件下与钢球对磨时,超疏水薄膜的摩擦系数保持在0.16左右,寿命超过10 000 s,而相同条件下未处理的金属铝摩擦系数超过0.6。结论采用盐酸溶液刻蚀金属铝,然后涂覆硬脂酸,可在铝表面构筑复合薄膜。薄膜不仅表现出明显的超疏水特性,同时具有良好的减摩耐磨性能。该方法技术简单,价格低廉,易于批量化生产,为改善微纳条件下铝及其合金的摩擦学性能提供了一个新的思路。     

Patterning of soft polydimethylsiloxane elastomers using plasma etching

Soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers spin coated on silicon wafers are patterned using plasma etching. The elastomers are formed by mixing vinyl‐terminated PDMS (prepolymer) and crosslinker containing hydride sites. The elastomers are made softer by adding either excess prepolymer, excess crosslinker, or swelling agent. The different elastomers were etched using reactive ion etching, an old and well established processing technology in the microelectronic and MEMS industry. The etch rate and profiles of the etched surfaces were dependent on the process pressure. The dependence was different for the different elastomers. It was found that at low pressure, the etch rate was dependent on the shear modulus. At high pressures, the etch rate was dependent on the chemical composition of the elastomer. The results for the swollen elastomers were different from those for the nonswollen elastomers. The etch rate was lower and the profiles of the etched cavities were different. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

磷化底漆在金属零部件加工面上的应用

针对零部件加工面涂装附着力差的问题,开发应用磷化底漆于加工面,彻底解决了加工面涂装附着力差的问题,具有重要的推广意义。     

Improving Bonding to Piezoelectric Poly(vinylidene fluoride) for Sensor Applications

Argon, oxygen, nitrogen and ammonia plasmas and an acid etch pretreatment were performed on uniaxially stretched piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) film in order to improve wettability and bonding. Oxygen plasma was found to be too harsh, but nitrogen and argon plasmas improved wettability and resulted in a seven-fold increase in 180° peel strengths. However, this improvement in peel strength was accompanied by a 90% decrease in the piezoelectric properties of the polymer. The acid etch yielded contact angles similar to those of the plasma treated material, and improved peel strengths some twelve times over that of the untreated film. Significantly, no piezoelectric loss resulted from the acid etch.     

Etching Effect on CMP of Different GaN Layers

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) was used to etch various GaN materials, such as GaN layers on sapphire and silicon carbide substrates grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and thick GaN layers grown by physical vapor transport. It was found that CMP could reveal the dislocations in GaN surfaces due to a selective etching component. After the optimization of CMP condition, the surface finish improved and the subsurface damage was almost completely removed, demonstrated by atomic force microsco...