PE-MOCVD of Dielectric Thin Films: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The current trend in electronic-systems technology is to produce compact, lighter, low-power-dissipating, affordable, reliable, and mobile information systems. These factors favor the augmentation of interface systems that sense, source, store, display, and actuate with artificial-intelligence strategies. Herein lies the opportunity to introduce novel technologies based on integrated multi-component oxide (e.g., titanates, niobates, and tantalates) films into usable systems. In particular the oxygen octahedra class of materials (e.g., (Ba,Sr)TiO3 or BST, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 or PZT, layered SrBi2Ta2O9 or SBT, and polytitanates) that exhibit high permittivities; large electromechanical-coupling coefficients; and pyroelectric, electro-optic, and ferroelectric effects are of interest. They are being evaluated, due to growing demand for compatibility with integrated-circuit (IC) technology, for a variety of applications. These include nonvolatile memories, ultralargescale-integration (ULSI) dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs), decoupling capacitors, piezoelectric sensors and actuators, pyroelectric detectors, and neural network components. Moreover in high-performance multichip-module (MCM) technology, there remains a vital need for the replacement of discrete passive devices, which occupy valuable real estate, by embedded ones. These high-density interconnect structures will play a significant role in nondigital electronic modules including mixed-mode circuits, power conversion and conditioning, microwave transmit/receive (T/R), and optoelectronics. Table I specifically illustrates some electronic applications along with their estimated requirements.