Challenges in ULSI
Device scaling has been the engine driving the continued pervasiveness of the microelectronics revolution. The technology roadmap calls for 4-5nm films (oxide equivalent thickness) this year, and <1.5nm within 10 years. While it is obvious that SiO2 and oxynitride dielectrics will be with us for the near future, their processing and performance will face severe challenges. At the same time, alternate gate dielectric materials with higher dielectric constants are being developed. They will be introduced as SiO2 performance diminishes. The advanced processing of ultrathin SiO2, oxynitrides, composite oxide/nitrides, and nitrides, as well as novel work on high-K gate dielectrics has been done. Advances in ultrathin oxides and oxynitrides; silicon nitride; silicon oxynitrides and nitrides-alternative processes for growing SiO2; atomic-scale control of the dielectric/silicon interface; electrical properties of ultrathin gate dielectrics; reliability of ultrathin gate dielectrics; high-k gate dielectrics; high-k gate dielectrics-alternative processes; characterization of gate dielectrics; and integrated processing has occured.
