Mechanistic Criteria for Area Selective Deposition of Multicomponent Oxide Dielectrics

ABSTRACT

With the advancement of advanced process nodes, device density and interconnect layers are constantly increasing. Area selective deposition (ASD) offers significant advantages as a bottom‐up approach for nano patterning. In this study, an ASD process and a mechanistic criterion for multicomponent oxides are developed. Combined experimental and theoretical analysis, the interactions between precursors and their interactions with inhibitor modified surfaces, where the inhibitors suppress nucleation and enable the ASD process. A selectivity criterion driven by the penetration depth of precursors into inhibitors and the reaction barrier of multiple precursors was established, enabling selective deposition through precursor selection and composition regulation. The growth of Al _x Si _y O films is governed by the synergistic effects of catalytic activation, precursor ratio, and temperature, thereby achieving excellent combined performance with tunable dielectric and mechanical properties and holding promise for mitigating resistance‐capacitance (RC) delay associated with interconnect scaling. For the first time, highly selective growth of 10 nm Al _x Si _y O films was achieved on Cu/SiO ₂ patterned, demonstrating a viable strategy for integrating Al _x Si _y O into next‐generation interconnect technologies.