Metallization on Semiconductors in the Single Digit Nanometer Regime

The continued advances in miniaturization of semiconductor devices has seriously challenged contact technology. This study explored the possibility of fabricating metal contacts from the bottom up on semiconductors using a linear metal atom string complex for chemical vapor deposition. The deposition and surface reaction of the dipyridylamino trichromium complex on GaN were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The molecular structure of the metal atom string complex remained intact upon deposition on the substrate. The complex bonded chemically to the sample substrate via the metal atom. It anchored on the substrate surface with the metal string pointing away from the surface. The anchored metal strings remain stable on the substrate up to temperatures higher than room temperature. The use of metal atom string complexes as interconnects for electrical communication among sub-10-nm features in future-generation chips is discussed