Process and Fabrication Technology

Week 1: Introduction to Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology

•        Introduction to VLSI Design

•        Introduction to Conventional Device structures – PN junction diode, Bipolar Junction Transistor and MOSFET

•        Preparation of Electronic grade silicon

•        Crystal growth and Wafer preparation

•        Introduction to Silicon Crystal Structure and Defects

Week 2: Oxidation and Diffusion

•        Oxidation and types of oxidation process

•        Oxidation Systems and Factors affecting oxidation process

•        Introduction to Diffusion process and Diffusion Mechanisms

•        Diffusion Systems and Limitations

•        Doping using Solid-State Diffusion

Week 3: Ion Implantation

•        Introduction to Ion Implantation

•        Doping using Ion Implantation

•        Ion Implantation Systems

•        Theory of Ion Implantation

•        Pros and Cons of Ion Implantation

Week 4: Lithography Process

•        Introduction to Lithography

•        Optical or Photo-Lithography Process Steps

•        Different Techniques used in Optical Lithography Process

•        Limitations in Optical Lithography

•        Other Lithography Techniques

•        Electron Beam Lithography and X-ray Lithography

•        Comparison of Optical, Electron and X-ray Lithography

Week 5: Etching Process

•        Introduction to Etching Technique

•        Significance of Etching process in Lithography

•        Figures of Merits in Etching Process

•        Comparison of Wet etching and Dry Etching

•        Process Steps in Wet etching; Wet etching of Silicon – An Example

•        Limitations in Wet Etching

•        Dry Etching; Introduction to Plasma; Dry Etching Mechanisms

Week 6: Thin Film Deposition

•        Relative Particle Size and Transistor Scaling

•        Impact of External Particles on Nano-scale devices/Miniaturized Systems

•        Introduction to Vacuum Environment

•        Classification – Thin Film Deposition Techniques

•        Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) – Requirements, Techniques and Limitations

•        Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) – Requirements, Techniques and Limitations

•        Epitaxy Technique – Deposition of Single Crystalline Structure

Week 7: Metallization and Packaging

•        Primary requirements of Interconnects

•        Steps in formation of Interconnects

•        Vias and Multilevel Metallization for a Metal Interconnect System

•        Electromigration – Reliability Problem in Interconnects

•        Alternative Interconnect Metals to supress Electromigration

•        Damascene process

•        Chemical-Mechanical Polishing

•        Packaging of VLSI Devices – Introduction, Types and Technologies

•        Testing, Assembly and Qualification of Wafers

Week 8: Conventional Device Fabrication

•        Fabrication of Simple PN junction diode

•        CMOS Fabrication Process (n-well/p-well/twin well)

•        BJT Fabrication Process

•        Bi-CMOS Fabrication Process

•        Technology Challenges in Conventional Transistors (BJT and MOSFETs)

•        Device Engineering - Techniques to overcome technology Challenges

•        FinFET – Modern Transistor Fabrication Process

•        Summary

1. J. Plummer, M. D. Deal, P. B. Griffin, Silicon VLSI Technology, Fundamentals, Practice and Modelling, Pearson Higher Education, 2009.

2. S. M. Sze, VLSI Technology, Tata McGraw Hill, 2008.

3. S. K. Ghandhi, VLSI Fabrication Principles- Silicon and Gallium Arsenide, Second Edition, Wiley, 2016.

4. Hong Xiao, Introduction to Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Second Edition, SPIE Press, 2012.

5. Stephen A. Campbell, The Science and Engineering of Microelectronic Fabrication, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2001.

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- Internal Assignment Score: This accounts for 30% of the final grade and is calculated based on the average of the best three assignments out of all the assignments given in the course.

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- Final Score: The final score is the sum of the average assignment score and the exam score.

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