Area selective deposition using alternate deposition and etch super-cycle strategies

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Area selective deposition (ASD) enables patterned thin film growth without photolithography.
• Defective selectivity in ASD necessitates correction, leading to the development of super-cycle strategies.
• Super-cycles involve alternating deposition and etching steps to maintain selectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss and optimize the etching step in ASD super-cycles.
• To explore methods for improving ASD process throughput and reducing drift and contamination.
• To leverage complementary selective properties for enhanced ASD processes.

Main Methods:

• Detailed analysis of etching step parameters (chemistry, frequency, duration).
• Development of strategies for optimizing super-cycle ASD processes.
• Investigation of structure selective deposition as a complementary property.

Main Results:

• Optimization of the etching step is crucial for effective super-cycle ASD.
• Different approaches can enhance overall ASD process throughput.
• Process drift and contamination can be simultaneously limited.
• Structure selective deposition offers a valuable leverage for ASD super-cycles.

Conclusions:

• Careful optimization of the etching step is key to successful ASD by super-cycles.
• Super-cycle ASD offers a pathway to improved throughput and process control.
• Exploiting complementary selective properties enhances the versatility of ASD processes.