Top down nano technologies in surface modification of materials

Abstract

Abstract:This article contains a broad overview of etch process as one of the most important top-down technologies widely used in semiconductor manufacturing and surface modification of nanostructures. In plasma etching process, the complexity comes from the introduction of new materials and from the constant reduction in dimensions of the structures in microelectronics. The emphasis was made on two types of etching processes: dry etching and wet etching illustrated by three dimensional (3D) simulation results for the etching profile evolution based on the level set method. The etching of low-k dielectrics has been demonstrated via modelling the porous materials. Finally, simulation results for the roughness formation during isotropic etching of nanocomposite materials as well as smoothing of the homogeneous materials have also been shown and analyzed. Simulation results, presented here, indicate that with shrinking microelectronic devices, plasma and wet etching interpretative and predictive modeling and simulation have become increasingly more attractive as a tool for design, control and optimization of plasma reactors. PACS (2008):81.05. Rm, 85.40.Hp, 85.85.+j, 87.10.Ed

High-Energy-Surface Engineered Metal Oxide Micro- and Nanocrystallites and Their Applications

“…Thermodynamic and kinetic approaches to the synthesis of micro- and nanocrystallites with specific facets both represent bottom-up processes for crystal growth. In recent years, top-down strategies have also been applied to engineer the surface structure of micro- and nanocrystallites. , Directional chemical etching based on crystal anisotropy, which has been widely used in the semiconductor industry, has shown particular advantages in the fabrication of micro- and nanocrystallites with specific surface structures.…”

Influence of finite geometrical asymmetry of the electrodes in capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma

“…Capacitively coupled radio frequency (CCRF) plasma has been widely used as a low temperature plasma processing medium for material processing in many fields including microelectronics, aerospace, and biology. [1][2][3][4][5] Due to the energetic ions, chemically active species, radicals, and also energetic neutral species, CCRF discharges are widely studied for various applications in different pressure ranges, ranging from few mTorr to atmospheric pressure. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] In geometrically asymmetric discharge (when the area of the grounded electrode is much larger than the area of the powered electrode), a dc self-bias is generated naturally because of the different electrode sizes and develops in order to compensate electron and ion flux to each electrode within one rf period.…”

Theoretical Studies of the Electrical Discharge Characteristics of Sulfur Hexafluoride

“…SF 6 -fillings are also employed in instrument transformers, pressurized gas capacitors and surge arresters for super voltages. Nowadays, SF 6 is more and more used for the manufacturing of semiconductor devices such as IC (integrated circuits), flat panels, photovoltaic panels and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) [6][7][8][9].…”