High Dielectric Constant Materials for Nanoscale Devices and Beyond

Here is a nice review on the introduction of high-k materials in the semiconductor industry and a future outlook by Prof. Hiroshi Iwai at Tokyo and Prof. Akira Toriumi Institute of Technology and their partner Prof. Durga Misra at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Thank you for sharing this one Rob Clark! The paper is part of a winter special issue in Interface (by ECS) with focus on "Importance of dielectric science"  and is free for download.

The authors conclude that:

• The step coverage advantage of atomic layer deposition (ALD and is possible for, high‑k migration to FinFET CMOS technology.
• The use of high‑k on new semiconductor substrates such as III-V, Ge and 2D materials is currently being investigated and faces many challenges. 
• The discovery of ferroelectric properties of HfO2 makes it viable for more potential applications.

High Dielectric Constant Materials for Nanoscale Devices and Beyond
Hiroshi Iwai, Akira Toriumi and Durga Misra

Electrochem. Soc. Interface Winter 2017 volume 26, issue 4, 77-81

Abstract: Tremendous progress of CMOS integrated circuits have been conducted by the down-scaling or the miniaturization of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors). Ten years, ago, the huge direct-tunneling gate leakage current through the thin gate SiO2 film of 1 nm thickness made it impossible to further scale-down the MOSFETs, and replacing the SiO2 by HfO2-based higher-dielectric constant (high-k) material was the solution. In this paper, the history of high-k gate insulator film development and two topics from recent research results regarding ferroelectricity and reliability are described.

CMC Conference 2018 Keynote by Intel Litho VP

Register now for early-bird rate to April 24-25 event in Phoenix area

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- TECHCET CA—the advisory service firm providing electronic materials information—and the Critical Materials Council (CMC) of semiconductor fabricators announce that David Bloss, Vice President of Technology and Manufacturing Group, and Director of Lithography Technology Sourcing in Global Supply Management, Intel Corporation, will provide the keynote address at the next CMC Conference to be held April 24-25, 2018 in Chandler, Arizona (http://cmcfabs.org/cmc-events/). Building on the success of the prior CMC Conferences, the 2018 event will feature presentations by technologists from leading fabs, OEMs, materials suppliers, and analysts.

Following the annual members-only CMC meeting held earlier in the week, the 2017 CMC Conference is open to the public. Business drives our world, but technology enables the profitable business of manufacturing new semiconductor devices, and new devices need new materials. Presentation sessions will focus on the following topics:

• Global Issues & the Supply Chain,
• Immediate Challenges of Materials & Manufacturing, and
• Emerging Materials Challenges.

To register for the conference at the early-bird rate of $375 by March 15, 2018—after which the price increases to $450—please got to the website http://cmcfabs.org/registration/.

ABOUT CMC:  The Critical Materials Council (CMC) of Semiconductor Fabricators (CMCFabs.org) is a membership-based organization that works to anticipate and solve critical materials issues in a pre-competitive environment. The CMC is a unit of TECHCET.

ABOUT TECHCET:  TECHCET CA LLC is an advisory service firm focused on process materials supply chains, electronic materials technology, and materials market analysis for the semiconductor, display, solar/PV, and LED industries. Since 2000, the company has been responsible for producing the SEMATECH Critical Material Reports, covering silicon wafers, semiconductor gases, wet chemicals, CMP consumables, Photoresists, and ALD/CVD Precursors. For additional information about these reports or CMC Fabs membership please contact Diane Scott at info@cmcfabs.org +1-480-332-8336, or go to www.techcet.com or www.cmcfabs.org.

Media Contact: Lita Shon-Roy, TECHCET CA LLC, 1-480-382-8336, info@techcet.com

In 2018 the outlook for electronic materials promises good times for suppliers of semiconductor materials

In 2018 the outlook for electronic materials promises good times for suppliers of semiconductor materials according to Chemical & Engineering News, at least in the first half of 2018. However reportedly, the display materials market appears to be heading downward.

For the electronics market the following forward looking statements were given:

The good times will likely keep on rolling for suppliers of semiconductor materials in 2018, at least in the first half. But the display materials market, prone to rapid boom-bust cycles, appears to be heading downward.

“Since demand for DRAM and NAND memory chips remains strong, the first half of 2018 will be good,” says Keiji Mihayashi, president of Fujifilm Electronic Materials, which supplies both the semiconductor and display industries. Strong demand for the two types of memory chip is linked to cloud computing, he adds.

Memory chips are a major market for firms like Fujifilm, Mihayashi notes. “High demand for the chips will boost the results of memory manufacturers, and sales of materials will correspondingly be good as well.” It’s too early to tell what the second half of 2018 will bring, he says.

Lita Shon-Roy, president of the electronic materials consulting firm Techcet, points to other reasons the semiconductor materials market is buoyant. Newly built semiconductor plants in China are boosting demand for materials. And advanced chips are often made using a materials-intensive manufacturing technique called multiple patterning. Meanwhile, supplies of materials remain tight across the semiconductor industry because “producers don’t expand capacity just because of one or two good years,” Shon-Roy says.

Silicon wafers are in the shortest supply because only a few firms make them. Supplies of high-purity gases and wet chemicals are limited as well. Any unexpected production halt can stress the supply chain, she notes.

The picture isn’t so bright for manufacturers of materials used in TVs and other flat-panel displays. The display market is prone to periods of oversupply when large, new plants come on-line, and this is happening now.

“A supply glut is widely expected, which will lead to a decline in panel prices,” warns Sang-Ho Kang, display technologies global business director at DowDuPont. “Display materials markets will feel growing price pressure from panel makers.”

But newer display technologies will spur both consumer demand and the need for new materials, Kang adds. For instance, the market for organic light-emitting diode displays is small but growing rapidly. And DowDuPont researchers are developing materials for use in foldable displays, which Kang expects to hit the market this year.

Please find a collection of brief articles here: 

Economic health across the globe should mean a good 2018 for the world chemical industry (LINK) 

Cover picture as shared on Twitter (LINK)