Digital Beam Processing of Oxide Nano-electronic Devices (Digi-POND)

NexGenSemi Corporation/UC Berkeley team will explore the feasibility to produce high density LaAlO3 / SrTiO3 nanoelectronics using Digital Beam Processing (DBP). DBP is a modified resistless, maskless manufacturing technique (compliant to Executive Order 13329) performed within a single cluster tool with capability to perform patterned etch, deposition, and implant processes thereby reducing both direct and indirect costs and lead times. Direct growth of LaAlO3 / SrTiO3 material using patterned atomic layer deposition (ALD) is possible within such a process tool. The Phase I feasibility study will identify core DBP techniques for manufacturing high density multi-component oxide heterostructure (MCOH) devices.  The results will outline a test and evaluation strategy using transport and tunneling spectroscopy for process optimization during Phase II. The results will provide estimates of Phase III tool performance and include evaluation of throughput, feature size, overlay accuracy, dimensional control and other aspects of a production tool in conjunction with the core processes for fabrication of high-density MCOH nano-electronics.  The Phase I study will focus on newer multi-activation processes performed post-exposure including nucleation deposition, atomic layer deposition, and several post-exposure, low-dose etching techniques and how they emulate to MCOH device processing.   BENEFIT: The NexGenSemi Corporation/UC Berkeley team is presenting a disruptive technology for achieving high density nano-scale LaAlO3 / SrTiO3 devices using DBP. Realization of high density MCOH nano-scale electronics will have many commercial applications in the areas of ultra-high density memory and logic, quantum encryption, electronic functionality based on single electrons, quantum computing, and information processing. A successful outcome on this program will help find a solution to the current challenges for producing microelectronics in large volumes, rather than one-off devices as evidenced by the slowness with which the MEMS industry has evolved, and provide new enabling technologies that can deterministically with high precision and resolution provide process building blocks  beyond the 45 nm node.)