Effect of Al precursor’s properties on interactions with self-assembled monolayers for area selective deposition

Area selective deposition (ASD) is a high-precision atomic-level manufacturing technology that enables the development of bottom-up manufacturing methods in the future semiconductor field. The area selective deposition behavior of Al precursors on 1-octadecylthiol (ODT) passivated Cu/SiO2 surfaces was studied through experimental and theoretical analysis. The relationship between precursor steric hindrance, symmetry, penetration depth in ODT, and adsorption energy was elucidated. The loss of selectivity caused by different penetration depths of the precursor in ODT can be post-treated with acids or H2 plasma to remove the physisorption of precursor molecules between ODT chains, thereby improving the selectivity. Reliable ASD technology has been successfully applied to Cu/SiO2 patterns. Dimethylaluminum isopropoxide can selectively deposit about 10 nm of Al2O3 on SiO2 without detectable defects on the Cu area. This provides important insights into the choice of precursors in the ASD process and can extend its application to a wider range of device manufacturing schemes.