Atomic-Layer-Deposited Aluminum Oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) as a Barrier for Local Oxidation of Silicon
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The LOCal Oxidation of Silicon (LOCOS) is a widely used technological process that conventionally exploits hundreds-of-nanometer-thick silicon nitride (SiN) layers as the mask to locally prevent the silicon surface to be oxidized. Here, investigations of the use of ultrathin (<20 nm) Al 2 O 3 layers grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as material-sparing alternative to SiN are reported. A significant reduction of the oxidation rate by a factor greater than 15 is demonstrated for either dry thermal and plasma oxidations, paving the way toward more environmentally sustainable LOCOS processes for the fabrication of microelectronic and photonic devices.
Source: ACS Applied Electronic Materials
Authors: Manon Drob, Pascal Dubreuil, Stéphane Calvez
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4416597029