ALD License agreement will improve manufacture of next generation chips
Harvard University's Office of Technology Development (OTD) and Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials ( NYSE:ROH )have announced the signing of an agreement licensing to Rohm and Haas a novel class of metal amidinate compounds useful for making thin films of metals and metal compounds by atomic layer deposition. Under the terms of the agreement, Rohm and Haas has exclusive rights to manufacture and market the amidinate compounds to semiconductor manufacturers. The technology, which is being developed in the lab of Roy Gordon, the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Chemistry in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a world-renowned scientist at the forefront in developing new metalorganic materials, addresses needs highlighted on the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). Atomic Layer Deposition, or ALD, is a technique for making thin films that deposits a single layer at a time with the thickness of only one atom. ALD provides exceptional control of the thickness of the thin film. As features on a chip decrease in size below 45 nm, ALD is predicted to be an essential technology for making such small chips.
"Atomic layer deposition represents the future in better manufacturing of semiconductor chips," Gordon said.
Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials will produce these compounds at its North Andover, MA, facility. As part of the agreement, the company will collaborate with Harvard scientists to further develop this technology for advanced atomic layer deposition and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) processes.
"We're excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Harvard team," said Dr. Dominic Yang, business unit director for Rohm and Haas's Microelectronic Technologies business. "The industry's march toward smaller, more powerful semiconductors must include class-leading ALD and CVD processes and materials. Our work with Professor Gordon and his team strengthens Rohm and Haas's existing precursor solutions and builds upon our suite of advanced materials for the semiconductor industry."
"We are extremely pleased that Rohm and Haas shares our confidence in the significant potential of this semiconductor chip manufacturing technology," stated Isaac T. Kohlberg, Chief Technology Development Officer, Harvard University. "This agreement demonstrates the OTD's commitment to partnering with industry leaders such as Rohm and Haas, and to helping bring important, technologies to the marketplace. We anticipate that given current trends in R&D, Harvard will become an important engine to help drive innovation."
The amidinates developed by Harvard are ideally suited for advanced high-k dielectric, metal gate and barrier/adhesion layers and will provide manufacturers with improved functionality, throughput and thermal stability for emerging ALD and CVD processes required in 45 nm and below semiconductors, such as memory and logic devices. Several large semiconductor manufacturers have already started to develop material integration schemes using ALD and CVD processes.
