Integrated Circuit Processing, Device Fabrication and Process Integration

Delivery method: 40 hours of lecture, videotapes, with classroom and homework problems. Students should bring a calculator to class.
NOTE: We also have an abridged 20 hour version of the course.

Target audience: Engineers involved in device processing, process integration and device or circuit design engineers who want to gain an overview of processing.

Course description: This course will provide an overview of the various unit processes in Si IC fabrication, as well as process integration of MOS, bipolar and BICMOS processes. We will start with wafer manufacturing including epitaxy, and go through unit processes including furnace operations such as oxidation/ diffusion, and doping technologies including ion implantation and rapid thermal processing. We will then discuss thin film deposition of polysilicon, dielectrics and metals using chemical vapor deposition and sputtering, as well as photolithography and wet/dry etching techniques for these layers. We will also discuss in detail process integration issues for MOS,bipolar, BICMOS.

Prerequisites: Course such as "MOS Device Physics"

Objectives: To provide engineers with an overview of the various unit processes in Si IC fabrication as well as process integration. At the end of the course, engineers will be able to design process modules involving for example oxidation/ diffusion schedules to meet MOS device specs, or process requirements, while meeting thermal budget limitations. They will be able to determine optimal ion implant conditions in terms of dose, energy and anneal requirements. They will be able to evaluate the tradeoffs of various kinds of chemical and physical thin film deposition techniques. They will be able understand the diffraction-limited tradeoffs of conventional photolithography, as well as examine more esoteric techniques such as X-ray lithography that are likely to be used in the future. Finally, they will be able to put these "unit process modules" together and consider process integration issues, with a focus on MOS processes. We will also show videos in this course dealing with front end as well as back end processes.

Outline

1. Crystal Growth
2. Oxidation
3. Diffusion
4. Ion Implantation
5. Metrology
6. Chemical Vapor Deposition
7. Epitaxy
8. Lithography
9. Etch
10. Metallization
11. Cleanrooms
12. Bipolar IC Flow Process Integration
13. MOS IC Flow Process Integration