The purpose of the module is introduce advanced CMOS process technology and the problems associated with device fabrication as the technology moves towards 30 nm features and below.

CMOS process flow: CMOS fabrication steps, active region formation, shallow trench isolation, n and p well formation. Gate formation: threshold voltage, control of Vth in n and p channel MOS devices, tip or LDD formation (hot electrons), side wall spacer. Source and drain formation: contact and interconnect formation, multilevel metal formation for ULSI, RC time delay. Surface contaminants: particles, metallic contaminants, organic contaminants, native/chemical oxide, moisture. Cleaning processes: surface characteristics, wet cleaning, dry cleaning,supercritical fluid cleaning, lamp cleaning-surface refreshing. Cleaning /Etching Chemistries]: contamination reduction, gettering (intrinsic and extrinsic). Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP): SiO2 inter-level dielectric layers planarisation, tungsten plug formation and shallow trench isolation. Dual Damascene: trench first approach, via first approach, optical proximity correction. High and low K dielectrics: silicon on insulator, ultra thin oxides, gate dielectrics, degradation mechanisms, nitroxides, fluorinated oxides, shallow junction formation, transient enhanced diffusion. Electrstatic discharge (ESD): basics of ESD, principles of ESD control. Semiconductor Metrology: CD and overlay measurements, electrical and optical measurements. Assembly: frontend assembly, backend assembly. Semiconductor failure analysis: implant metrology, interconnect process metrology, ellpsometry, reflectrometry, sheet resistance measurements.

- Define key concepts relating to advanced CMOS process technology. - Describe the principal stages of IC fabrication, and the tools and materials required. - Explain the physical principles involved in advanced CMOS process technology and device fabrication - Derive relevant equations describing advanced CMOS process technology, from basic laws and principles. - Solve numerical problems from information provided on the topics covered.

Discuss the importance of advanced CMOS process technology in applied physics.

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Students will learn via interactive lectures, tutorials, projects and problem based private study.