Press Release 06-085 A Cool Way to Strip Hydrogen
Using lasers to clear silicon surfaces could make for cheaper, better computer chips and solar cells
May 18, 2006
Researchers have demonstrated a new laser-based technique for stripping hydrogen atoms from the surface of silicon, an advance that could significantly reduce the cost and improve the quality of computer chips, solar cells and a wide variety of other semiconductor devices.
The scientists' work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, and is reported in the May 19 issue of the journal Science. The team includes Philip I. Cohen at the University of Minnesota, Leonard C. Feldman, Norman Tolk and Zhiheng Liu at Vanderbilt University, and Zhenyu Zhang from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.
The laser technique addresses a key step in the production of microchips, which are typically built by laying down multiple layers of silicon in sequence. To keep each new surface from oxidizing, manufacturers routinely expose it to hydrogen atoms that attach to all the available silicon bonds. Then they remove the hydrogen atoms before adding the next layer. Unfortunately, their usual method--applying heat--can destroy the silicon's crystalline perfection and ruin the chip.
By stripping the hydrogen off with lasers, however, manufacturers could potentially work at much lower temperatures, which should dramatically improve yields.
For more information, see the news releases from Vanderbilt University, University of Minnesota and the University of Tennessee.
An animation of the laser process is also available.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
M. Mitchell Waldrop, NSF (703) 292-7752 mwaldrop@nsf.gov
Deane Morrison, University of Minnesota (612) 624-2346 morri029@umn.edu
Jay Mayfield, University of Tennessee (865) 974-9409 jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu
David F. Salisbury, Vanderbilt University (615) 343-6803 david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
Related Websites An animation of the laser process: http://www.nsf.gov/news/longurl.cfm?id=2 The University of Minnesota news release: http://www.nsf.gov/news/longurl.cfm?id=3 The University of Tennessee news release: http://pr.tennessee.edu/news/release.asp?id=2470 The Vanderbilt University news release: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/stories/hsidesorption.html
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