Today at noon Finnish time, Kai-Erik Elers, Technical Applications Manager
of the leading Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems manufacturer Picosun
Oy presents and defends his PhD thesis "Copper Diffusion Barrier Deposition
on Integrated Circuit Devices by Atomic Layer Deposition Technique" at
the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science of the University of Helsinki.
Elers' dissertation studies the feasibility of new diffusion barrier
processes for copper metallization and decreasing feature size of integrated
circuit devices.
Copper metallization comprises an entirely new process flow with new
materials such as low-k insulators and etch stoppers, which are making the
diffusion barrier integration demanding. Atomic Layer Deposition technique
is one of the most promising techniques to deposit copper diffusion barrier
for future devices.
"Motivation for my dissertation was based on possible business opportunities
in the metallization market. When I started working on my thesis, it was
expected that diffusion barrier processes used by the IC industry at the
time were becoming inadequate. In 2006, Intel introduced the use of the ALD
method for high volume manufacturing of transistors with high-k material.
Evidently, the ALD technique had established its position in the IC
production making it easier for new ALD processes to establish themselves."
Kai-Erik Elers says.
"My goal was to study one specific area of ALD for possible integration
into
industrial manufacturing processes. ALD represents a feasible diffusion
barrier process as an alternative to the existing choice of industry
(Physical Vapour Deposition). However, aspect ratio requirements have
remained moderate in copper metallization making it possible to extent the
use of current technology. It will be interesting to see in which
application ALD barriers for the copper metallization will be used first,"
Elers says.
Kai-Erik Elers' dissertation can be downloaded from http://ethesis.helsinki.fi
Posted November 18th, 2008