As an insulation layer material
Inter layer insulation of chips: With the continuous development of semiconductor technology and the increasing integration of chips, good insulation materials are needed between each layer of circuits to prevent signal interference and current leakage. Silicon nitride can be precisely deposited into silicon nitride insulation layers between different metal wiring layers of chips through processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). For example, in advanced logic chip manufacturing, the use of silicon nitride layers deposited with silicon nitride can effectively isolate circuit connections at different levels, ensure accurate transmission of electronic signals along predetermined paths, and ensure the implementation of complex chip functions. Companies such as Intel and TSMC use this technology when manufacturing high-end processor chips.
Gate insulation: In transistor structures, an extremely thin and high-performance insulation layer is required between the gate and channel to control the conduction and cutoff of current. Silicon nitride thin films prepared from silicon nitride have become an ideal choice for gate insulation materials due to their high dielectric constant, good insulation performance, and good compatibility with silicon substrates. Taking metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) as an example, advanced processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) are used to convert silicon nitride into high-quality silicon nitride gate insulation layers, which helps reduce gate leakage current, improve transistor switching speed and operating efficiency, and is crucial for enhancing the overall computational performance of the chip.
Used for surface passivation treatment
Preventing impurity intrusion: Semiconductor devices are easily affected by impurities such as water vapor, oxygen, and various ions in the external environment during manufacturing and subsequent use, leading to performance degradation or even failure. Silazane can form a dense and chemically stable protective film on the surface of the chip, providing passivation protection for the entire semiconductor device. For example, after the completion of integrated circuit chip manufacturing, surface treatment with silazane can effectively block the penetration of water vapor and the contact of impurity ions carried by oxygen and dust in the air with the active areas and metal interconnect structures inside the chip, significantly extending the service life of the chip and improving its reliability in different environments.
Improving device stability: For some microelectronic components that are highly sensitive to the environment, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, the surface passivation effect of silicon nitride is indispensable. The microstructure in MEMS devices usually has the characteristics of high precision and susceptibility to external interference. The protective film formed by silicon nitride can reduce the influence of factors such as humidity changes and chemical corrosion, ensuring that these microstructures maintain stable physical and chemical properties for a long time, and guaranteeing that MEMS devices can accurately achieve functions such as sensing and driving.
As an etching mask material
Accurate graphic transfer: In the photolithography and etching processes of semiconductor manufacturing, it is necessary to use mask materials to achieve precise transfer of complex circuit patterns on chips. Silazane can be deposited into thin films through specific processes and used as an etching mask. In the photolithography process, the designed circuit pattern is transferred onto a silicon nitride film using photoresist. Then, in the subsequent etching step, the silicon nitride film is used as a mask to selectively etch the underlying substrate material (such as silicon, silicon dioxide, etc.), thereby replicating the circuit pattern onto the substrate and achieving the manufacturing of various micro/nano structures (such as transistors, interconnects, etc.) in the chip. For example, in the manufacturing of storage chips, silicon nitride masks can help accurately etch the complex structure of storage units, ensuring the storage capacity and read-write performance of the storage chip.
Protecting specific areas: In some complex semiconductor manufacturing processes, it is necessary to protect specific areas of the chip to prevent them from being accidentally etched or subjected to other adverse effects in subsequent process steps. Silazane, as an etching mask, can accurately cover the areas that need to be protected, protecting these areas from the effects of etchants, plasma, etc. After other areas complete the corresponding process operations, the silazane mask can be removed to effectively protect local areas during the chip manufacturing process, ensuring the smooth progress of the entire chip manufacturing process and the high quality of the final product.
As a doping source
Control doping process: In semiconductor manufacturing, doping is the process of introducing specific impurity atoms (such as boron, phosphorus, etc.) into semiconductor materials such as silicon to change their electrical properties and achieve control over the conductivity type and carrier concentration of semiconductor devices. Silazane can be used as a doping source to introduce doping elements through chemical bonding and other methods, and then processed through high-temperature processes to diffuse the doping elements into the semiconductor substrate, achieving precise doping effects. For example, in the manufacturing of power semiconductor devices, doping with silicon nitride compounds containing boron or phosphorus can accurately adjust key electrical parameters such as resistivity and turn-on voltage, and improve the performance of power devices in power conversion, control, and other aspects.
Improving doping uniformity: Compared to some traditional doping methods, using silazane as a doping source can achieve more uniform doping effects at the microscopic level. It can evenly distribute doping elements on the surface and inside of semiconductors with atomic level precision in processes such as atomic layer deposition, avoiding situations where the local doping concentration is too high or too low. This is of great significance for manufacturing high-performance and highly consistent semiconductor chips, especially for integrated circuit chips that require extremely high electrical performance uniformity.
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