Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Surface Passivation: A Cornerstone for Advancing Semiconductor Technologies

Modern semiconductor devices like transistors, solar cells, microLEDs, and thin-film transistors all rely heavily on effective surface passivation to enhance performance. As devices continue to evolve toward 3D architectures and smaller form factors, managing surface defects becomes critical to maintaining efficiency. Surface passivation, achieved through thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar techniques, minimizes charge carrier recombination at surface sites, thereby boosting the overall performance of semiconductor devices. The latest review paper by Bart Macco, published in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, provides a comprehensive analysis of surface passivation techniques across silicon, germanium, and III–V materials. The study highlights the importance of atomic-scale processing methods, such as ALD and atomic layer etching (ALE), in meeting the demands of advanced semiconductor architectures. It also explores the emerging trends in high-volume manufacturing of ALD Al₂O₃ layers, novel passivation stacks tailored for different semiconductor materials, and the growing role of in-situ cleaning processes. This review underscores how advancements in passivation methods are shaping next-generation semiconductor devices, addressing both performance and reliability challenges. For more details, the paper is open access and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution and you can also check out the recent post in AtomicLimiuts.com (links below).




Sources: 
Macco, B., et al. "Surface passivation approaches for silicon, germanium, and III–V semiconductors." Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A.: Surface passivation approaches for silicon, germanium, and III–V semiconductors | Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A | AIP Publishing

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