A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure including the steps of providing a silicon substrate (10) having a surface (12), forming on the surface (12) of the silicon substrate (10), by atomic layer deposition (ALD), a seed layer (20;20') characterised by a silicate material and forming, by atomic layer deposition (ALD) one or more layers of a high dielectric constant oxide (40) on the seed layer (20;20').

Method for fabricating a semiconductor structure including a metal oxide interface with silicon

A technique for creating patterns of material deposited on a surface involves forming a self-assembled monolayer in a pattern on the surface and depositing, via chemical vapor deposition or via sol-gel processing, a material on the surface in a pattern complementary to the self-assembled monolayer pattern. The material can be a metal, metal oxide, or the like. The surface can be contoured, including trenches or holes, the trenches or holes remaining free of self-assembled monolayer while the remainder of the surface is coated. When exposed to deposition conditions, metal or metal oxide is deposited in the trenches or holes, and remaining portions of the article surface remain free of deposition. The technique finds particular use in creation of conductive metal pathways selectively within holes passing from one side of a substrate to another.

Self-assembled monolayer directed patterning of surfaces

In an electronic device using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or lanthanum lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) as the main insulating material, a PZT film or a PLZT film is formed on a sub-insulating layer consisting essentially of lead titanate, lanthanum lead titanate, barium titanate, strontium titanate, barium strontium titanate, lead zirconate, or lanthanum lead zirconate. In an MIS structure, a semiconductor, the sub-insulating layer, the PZT film and metal are deposited in order. In a capacitor, the sub-insulating layer and the PZT film are sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. The sub-insulating layer improves crystallinity of PZT or PLZT, and the dielectric constant. An oxide of Pb, La, Zr or Ti can be added as the sub-insulating layer in order to further suppress current leakage.

Electronic device using zirconate titanate and barium titanate ferroelectrics in insulating layer

High quality epitaxial layers of compound semiconductor materials can be grown overlying large silicon wafers by first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline compound semiconductor layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer.

Semiconductor structure, semiconductor device, communicating device, integrated circuit, and process for fabricating the same

In a method for manufacturing a thin film of metal-oxide dielectric, a precursor solution in a sol state is synthesized in a first step. This precursor solution is composed of component elements of materials of the composite metal-oxide dielectric to be manufactured. In a second step, this precursor solution is made a thin film by spin coating. In a third step, this thin film in the sol state is dried to convert it into a thin film of dry gel. Thereafter, in a fourth step, the thin film of dry gel is subjected to a heat treatment for thermally decomposing and removing organic substances in the dry gel thin film and simultaneously crystallizing this gel state thin film.

Method for manufacturing thin film of composite metal-oxide dielectric

A method for producing a thin film of a ferroelectric perovskite material having the steps of providing a first substrate; depositing a first layer of a sol-gel perovskite precursor material wherein the crystallization of this precursor material to the pervoskite phase is insensitive to the first substrate; depositing a second layer of a sol-gel perovskite precursor material wherein the crystallization is sensitive to the first substrate; and heat-treating the deposited layers to form ferroelectric perovskites. A heat treatment step to form perovskites may optionally follow the deposition of the first layer. The first layer of sol-gel perovskite precursor material is selected to produce a perovskite upon heat treatment of: lead titanate (PbTiO3), or strontium titanate (SrTiO3). The second layer of sol-gel perovskite precursor material is selected to produce a perovskite upon heat treatment of: lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr,Ti)O3), lead zirconate (PbZrO3), lead lanthanum titanate ((Pb,La)TiO3), lead lanthanum zirconate ((Pb,La)ZrO3), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate ((Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3), lead magnesium niobate (Pb(Mg1/3 Nb2/3)O3), lead zinc niobate (Pb(Zn1/3 Nb2/3)O3), barium titanate (BaTiO3), strontium barium titanate ((Sr,Ba)TiO3), barium titanate zirconate (Ba(Ti,Zr)O3), potassium niobate (KNbO3), potassium tantalate (KTaO3), or potassium tantalate niobate (K(Ta,Nb)O3).

Process for making sol-gel deposited ferroelectric thin films insensitive to their substrates

A process for curing and densifying a sol-gel derived inorganic thin film at lower temperatures (between 10° C. and 400° C.) by applying the films to a substrate, drying the film at a low temperature, exposing the film to a low pressure plasma. The film may be an oxide (e.g. SiO 2 ), nitride (e.g. Si 3 N 4 ), oxynitride (e.g. SiO x N y ) or sulfide (e.g. GeS 2 ).

Process for low temperature curing of sol-gel thin films

Amorphous fluoride powder in the ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3 (ZBLA) system has been prepared by a direct chemical route from metal alkoxides by reaction with bromine trifluoride. The potential of bromine trifluoride as a solvent for use in sol-gel synthesis of fluoride glass is discussed.

Sol-gel preparation of amorphous ZBLA heavy metal fluoride powders

Effect of Gravity on Silicalite Crystallization

Process for producing high purity aluminum nitride powder by reacting aluminum sulfide with gaseous ammonia at an intermediate temperature (about 700° C.) and holding at that temperature until an intermediate product (Al x N y S z ) is formed where x, y, and z are integers; then further heating to a temperature above 1100° C. and reacting with gaseous ammonia. A high purity, low oxygen containing, free flowing powder is produced. A posttreatment using a carbon source such as graphite further reduces the oxygen content. The oxygen content can be further reduced by reacting the aluminum nitride formed with carbon at about 1600° C.

Peter J. Melling

Papers

Process for making sol-gel deposited ferroelectric thin films insensitive to their substrates

Process for low temperature curing of sol-gel thin films

Sol-gel preparation of amorphous ZBLA heavy metal fluoride powders

Effect of Gravity on Silicalite Crystallization

Process for preparing high purity aluminum nitride