In situ studies of wet and dry processing of semiconductor surfaces

COLL 7

Yves J. Chabal, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 610 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
The need for atomic control of surface processing, critical to both the microelectronics and photonics industries, requires in-situ characterization. We have devised methods to use infrared absorption spectroscopy to study a semiconductor substrates (Si, Ge, SiC, InP, ..) under a range of conditions (wet, vapor and vacuum), making it possible to unravel the surface chemistry relevant for wet chemical etching and passivation, chemical vapor growth, and vacuum processing of semiconductor surfaces. In this talk, we discuss the growth of high-k dielectrics using Atomic Layer Deposition, focusing on understanding and minimizing the formation of an interfacial layer. This example highlights the importance of developing methods for functionalizing semiconductor surfaces and controlling growth kinetics. We will also show how essential it is to be able to study semiconductor surfaces in liquid environments, not only to gain a mechanistic understanding of wet chemical cleans, but also to investigate surface functionalization approaches for biological applications.