Implications of atomic-level manipulation on the Si(100) surface: From enhanced CMOS reliability to molecular nanoelectronics

Abstract

The ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (UHVSTM) has been used to induce desorption of H from the Si(100)–2X1:H surface with atomic-level precision. The study of the desorption mechanism led to the discovery of a substantial isotope effect between H and D, which has recently been employed to minimize hot electron degradation at the Si/SiO2 interface in conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. This paper will reveal secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) data that show a direct correlation between D incorporation at this interface and transistor lifetime. D incorporation can be enhanced via high-pressure processing, which has led to lifetime improvements in excess of 700× for Samsung`s latest 0.18 μ m, 1.5 V CMOS technology. In addition to enhancing current integrated circuits, UHVSTM-induced hydrogen desorption has aided the development of nanoelectronics on the molecular-size scale. Feedback-controlled lithography (FCL) has refined the desorption process to the point where templates of individual dangling bonds can be generated in arbitrary geometries. The chemical contrast between dangling bonds and H-passivated Si is then utilized to isolate individual copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and C60molecules on the Si(100) surface. Following isolation, STM spectroscopy has characterized the mechanical and electrical properties of these molecules with intra -molecular precision.