With the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Teplyakov and coworkers in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware are investigating the nucleation and growth of ultra-thin barrier layers of titanium and tantalum carbide/nitrides. Growth from organometallic precursors is examined using in situ and ex situ surface spectroscopic and microscopic methods, coupled with computational modeling of the electronic structure and growth process of these thin films. The focus of the work is on obtaining a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of barrier layer growth, and the control of contaminants in these layers. This fundamental understanding will be useful in the design of microelectronic device fabrication processes for ever smaller electronic devices.
As electronic device sizes shrink, barriers to diffusion between metallic conductors and active semiconductors must become thinner and more effective, for these devices to work properly. The research supported in this project examines the fundamental mechanisms of formation and growth of very thin layers based on titanium and tantalum carbide and nitride compounds, which can be used for barrier layers in these devices. This fundamental information will be useful for the design of next generation microelectronic devices.
