PFI:AIR-TT: Prototype Development of Recipe Optimization for Deposition and Etching (RODEo)

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

This PFI:AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a research code for plasma etch and process optimization into a user-friendly industrially validated software tool. This will reduce the costs of recipe development by over 65% and shorten time to market for the products of semiconductor tool and chip makers. A single semiconductor chip requires over 50 etching steps. Each of these etch steps is a unique chemical process that requires specifications of an exact process condition or recipe (e.g., pressure, temperature, chemical ingredients and amounts, and time in the etch or deposition tool). The underlying patent-pending methodology and software implementation for this project, Recipe Optimization for Deposition and Etching (RODEo), uses kinetic process models and statistical analysis to reduce the time and cost of process development by a factor of three as compared with current industrial standards. Greater than $1.2B is spent on etch and deposition process development per year. This cost is projected to grow as new technologies and smaller features require new materials and greater numbers of etch and deposition steps. By reducing the number of experiments necessary to create a recipe by a factor of three, RODEo can reduce this by $800M. Development of plasma-based semiconductor processes is extremely costly and time consuming, severely slowing technology growth and constraining semiconductor equipment and chip sales. This project addresses this technology gap as it translates the RODEo methodology from research discovery toward commercial application. RODEo uses Bayesian statistics to uniquely combine the physics-based models and experiments and the expert or so-called tribal knowledge of etch engineers to accelerate the process of recipe development. Elements to be created for commercial translation of the research code include: 1) 3D profile simulator to couple with the existing plasma model; 2) Database of etch chemistry models and kinetic parameters for ease of use; 3) Optimized code for increased computational speed; 4) User interface; and 5) Industry demo of RODEo recipe development for sidewall control for etch of a high aspect ratio trench, against methods used by one of our industrial partners. In addition, personnel involved in this project, including undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students, will receive experiences in technology translation through interactions and user feedback from our partners and future customers, which include Lam Research, Intel, and Tokyo Electron. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships and the Division of Engineering Education and Centers; reflecting the alignment of this project with the respective goals of the two divisions and their programs.