A capability for patterning beyond-CMOS devices at atomic scale

在原子尺度上对超越 CMOS 器件进行图案化的能力

• 批准号: EP/V054120/1
• 负责人: Martin Charlton
• 金额: $ 400.23万
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FV054120%2F1
• 关键词: capability; patterning; beyond; CMOS; devices

The twentieth century has witnessed an exceptional technological progress in consumer electronics that has utterly shaped modern societies and economies. This ICT evolution was mainly driven by the invention of the transistor and integrated circuits, with chemistry and materials science playing a pivotal role in manufacturing active devices with distinct and reliable properties that over the past 70 years have been following Moore's scaling trend. The need for continuing advancing the performance of devices and systems is thus driving research efforts in prototyping and demonstrating novel nano-scale concepts at extreme dimensions - towards the single nanometre scale. This is not only important both for commercially available CMOS technologies as well as "beyond-CMOS" technologies that promise to disrupt the current electronics landscape by delivering unprecedented computational at extreme low-power. At the same time, emerging techniques for deep-subwavelength optical imaging based upon AI-enabled analysis of diffracted/scattered light fields are also constrained by current nanoscale precision and accuracy with which training samples can be fabricated.Electron Beam Lithography has so far supported such developments in the deep-submicron regime by directly patterning resists with a focused beam of electrons. A high acceleration voltage can facilitate the writing of fine and more vertical (better defined) lines, minimise proximity issues, achieve a better pattern fidelity and allow for a wider dose optimisation window. Existing electron beam lithography (EBL) systems in the UK operate at voltages up to 100 kV and can in principle reach writing resolutions down to 5nm. This programme aims at procuring the world's highest acceleration voltage EBL system that can be flexible operated from 25 kV to 150 kV for writing efficiently and fast a wide range of feature sizes (sub-5nm) across large areas, sample substrates (up to 8") and resist thicknesses. This new capability will provide a unique platform (first one in the UK and Europe) for innovation via manufacturing a wide-range of beyond-CMOS devices and nanostructures at unprecedented scales. The knowledge gained with this new instrument will not only contribute to an in-depth understanding of nanodevice physics but also advance developments in disruptive ICT concepts across emerging memory, computing, plasmonics, photonics and sensory architectures. Hosting this unique capability within Southampton's nanofabrication suite brings unique opportunities for usage along other state-of-art tools, including an EPSRC funded DUV Stepper/Scanner, that will support industry compatible wafer scale processing that allows mimicking the manufacturing capability of EUV tools (costing in excess of 100M£) and are used for production at industrial foundries for advanced technological nodes (3, 5 and 7 nm). Finally, the tool will support a diverse, inclusive and collaborative research community, fostering interactions between academia and industry, and enabling innovative research projects and directions.

二十世纪见证了消费电子领域的非凡技术进步，极大地塑造了现代社会和经济。ICT 的发展主要是由晶体管和集成电路的发明推动的，其中化学和材料科学在有源器件的制造中发挥着关键作用。具有独特和可靠的特性，在过去的 70 年里一直遵循摩尔缩放趋势，因此，不断提高设备和系统性能的需求正在推动原型设计和展示极端尺寸的新颖纳米级概念的研究工作 - 走向单一。纳米尺度。不仅对于商用 CMOS 技术以及“超越 CMOS”技术都很重要，这些技术有望通过以极低功耗提供前所未有的计算能力来颠覆当前的电子领域，同时基于深亚波长光学成像的新兴技术。基于人工智能的衍射/散射光场分析也受到当前可制造训练样本的纳米级精度和准确度的限制。迄今为止，电子束光刻通过直接支持深亚微米领域的此类发展使用聚焦电子束进行图案化抗蚀剂可以促进精细且更垂直（更清晰）的线条的写入，最大限度地减少邻近问题，实现更好的图案保真度并允许更宽的现有电子束光刻剂量优化窗口。英国的 EBL 系统的运行电压高达 100 kV，原则上可以达到低至 5 nm 的写入分辨率。该计划旨在采购世界上最高的加速电压 EBL 系统。在 25 kV 至 150 kV 范围内灵活操作，可在大面积、样品基板（最大 8 英寸）和抗蚀剂厚度上高效、快速地写入各种特征尺寸（亚 5 纳米）。这一新功能将提供一个独特的平台（第一英国和欧洲的一个）通过以前所未有的规模制造各种超越 CMOS 的器件和纳米结构来实现创新，通过这种新仪器获得的知识不仅有助于深入了解纳米器件物理，而且还能推动发展。在南安普顿的纳米加工套件中托管这种独特的功能，为与其他最先进的工具（包括 EPSRC 资助的 DUV 步进器/扫描仪）一起使用提供了独特的机会。行业兼容的晶圆级加工，可以模仿 EUV 工具的制造能力（成本超过 1 亿英镑），并用于工业铸造厂的先进技术节点生产（3、最后，该工具将支持多元化、包容性和协作性的研究社区，促进学术界和工业界之间的互动，并实现创新的研究项目和方向。