ECE 433

ECE 433 - Fabrication technologies for micro and nano devices

Instructor: Professor Siva Sivoththaman
Lecture hours: 3 lectures per week
Term: Winter 2017

Course description

This course is intended to provide the students with the fundamentals, technological approaches, and practices in the fabrication of micro- and nano- electronic devices. Modern process technologies and design aspects for advanced devices will be covered along with the underlying theoretical concepts. Current device applications and future directions will also be discussed.

Course outline

  • Crystal growth
    • Processes and mechanisms for semiconductor bulk crystals
    • Czochralski and Float-zone processes
    • Process control and models
  • Thin film deposition
    • Physical and chemical vapor deposition
    • Atomic layer deposition
    • Plasma processes
    • Molecular beam and liquid phase epitaxy
  • Plasma etching processes
    • RF glow discharges and plasma kinetics
    • Plasma-surface interaction and process control
    • Reactive ion etching
  • Synthesis of nanostructures
    • Top-down and bottom-up approaches
    • zero-, one-, and two- dimensional structures
    • Nanotubes
    • Assembly of nanoparticles
  • Junction formation processes
    • Thermal processes in dopant diffusion
    • Ion implantation
    • Epitaxial processes
    • Formation of heterojunctions
  • Dielectric films
    • Thermal oxidation
    • Growth kinetics and interface quality
    • Plasma deposition of dielectric films
    • Evaluation methods
  • Lithography
    • Optical lithography fundamentals
    • Types of photoresists
    • Exposure techniques
    • Sub-micron processing
    • Limits of optical lithography
  • Nano-patterning
    • Electron beam lithography
    • Nano-imprint lithography
    • Scanning probe techniques
    • Atomic scale manipulation
  • Transistor fabrication and CMOS
    • Basics of MOS transistor fabrication
    • Process sequence
    • Layout design
    • Technological steps
    • Future trends
  • Fabrication of Thin film devices
    • Processes for thin film transistors
    • Circuit implementation
    • Large area display and photovoltaic applications
  • MEMS fabrication
    • Introduction to MEMS and application areas
    • Surface and bulk micromachining
    • Selective and directional etching
    • Microstructure release
    • Wafer bonding processes
  • Nanoelectronic device fabrication
    • Trends in future nanoelectronic devices and fabrication options
    • Quantum effect, tunneling, and single-electron devices

Prerequisites

ECE 209; ECE 331; Level at least 4A Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering.

Project/assignment (during select tutorial hours)

Computer simulations using Synopsys‐Sentaurus process simulator, ACES Etch simulator, Silvaco‐ OptoLith 2D simulator.

Laboratory

None.

Other activity

As part of the course, the students will take part in guided visits to nano- and micro- fabrication facilities on campus.

Text book

Course Notes