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The rapid explosion of infrared light opens up a way of 3D processing inside semiconductor chips


The rapid explosion of infrared light opens up a way of 3D processing inside semiconductor chips

When the intense light from the ultrafast lasers is focused inside the semiconductor, the highly efficient nonlinear ionization along the beam path creates a dim plasma that prevents sufficient localization energy from being reached. near focus for writing material. Researchers from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS, laboratory LP3.) have found a new solution to this important engineering problem. By splitting the energy of infrared ultrafast pulses to form ultrafast pulses of lower intensity pulses, better excitation localization is demonstrated. Using bursts that are fast enough, they accumulate enough energy to overcome the material modification threshold and thus locally add new functions inside the semiconductor chip. Credit: Andong Wang, Pol Sopeña and David Grojo

Researchers from the LP3 Laboratories in France have developed a light-based technique to process materials locally anywhere in the three-dimensional space of a semiconductor chip. Direct laser recording of new functions opens up the possibility of exploiting subsurface space for higher integration densities and additional functions.

Semiconductors are still the backbone material of electronic devices that are integrated with modern devices such as mobile phones, cars, robots and many other smart devices. Driven by the continued demand for small and powerful chips, current semiconductor manufacturing technologies are facing increasing pressure.

The dominant fabrication technology, lithography, has strong limitations when it comes to addressing these challenges, due to the nature of its surface treatment. For this reason, a solution to fabricate subsurface wafer structures is highly desirable that can fully exploit the space within the material.

Publish their report in International Journal of Extreme ManufacturingLP3 researchers demonstrate the fabrication of embedded structures inside various semiconductor materials, including Si and GaAs – two important materials for the microelectronics industry that cannot be 3D processed with super lasers. usual fast.

The first requirement is to choose the right wavelength so that light can penetrate the semiconductor material. In this study, the wavelength used is in the infrared, which is very similar to that used for telecommunications applications, so the semiconductor is a completely transparent material.

Framed by the European Horizon project “Extremely bright seed control for ultrafast laser material modifications”, the team has worked tirelessly to extend the current spectrum of laser processing to a wider range from UV to infrared and even longer wavelength. In this study, standard telecommunications wavelengths or SWIR wavelengths were quickly identified as excellent candidates for 3D processing inside semiconductors.

Although the technical problem of the appropriate wavelength has been solved, there are still some other physical limitations to be solved. With the use of high-intensity light, which is required to process the material, highly efficient nonlinear ionization within the narrow-gap material generates free electrons within the material. This will quickly transform any Semiconductors into metal-like materials, making it impossible for light to penetrate deep into matter. This transition worsens the focusing process and prevents material distortion using an extremely fast laser.

To get around this, the team proposed using unconventional ultrafast pulses to disrupt the metallization transition. Explaining this, Dr. Andong Wang, one of the lead researchers of this paper, said, “Previous research has used pulses of light that are too strong to excite electrons too easily. Here, instead of using strong pulses of light, we divide the pulse energy into a large number of weaker pulses with extremely fast repetition rates.These pulse sequences, also named pulses, will avoid strong pulse excitation before the light is focused. In addition, the pulses will repeat very quickly so that the delivered laser energy can accumulate effectively to overcome the modification. “

Lead researcher on this work, Dr. David Grojo, said, “This provides the first practical solution for ultrafast laser recording inside semiconductors. The next step will be to focus on this type of modification. can be achieved inside these materials.Refraction indexing is certainly an important goal given the growing importance of silicon photonics.Laser writing will provide digital fabrication capabilities. directly 3D architectural materials that are not accessible by current manufacturing technologies.In the future, these new materials lasers methods that could dramatically change the way advanced microchips are made today. ”

More information:
Andong Wang, Pol Sopeña and David Grojo, Burst Mode enables ultrafast laser engraving inside gallium arsenide, International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (In 2022). DOI: 10.1088 / 2631-7990 / ac8fc3

Provided by International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing

Quote: Fast bursts of infrared light unleashing 3D processing inside semiconductor chips (2022, Nov. 8) retrieved Nov. 8, 2022 from https://techxplore.com/news/2022 -11-fast-infrared-3d-semiconductor-chips. html

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