2nm semiconductor process ushered in a new breakthrough, just a microwave oven

CTOnews.com, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) recently, Cornell University scientists have broken through a major obstacle to the production of 2nm semiconductors using an improved home microwave oven. a paper has been published on Applied Physics Letters.

In order to reduce the semiconductor process, silicon must be doped with higher and higher phosphorus concentration to promote accurate and stable current transmission. For now, as the industry begins to mass-produce 3nm components, the traditional annealing method is still effective. However, with the further improvement of accuracy, it is necessary to ensure that the phosphorus concentration is higher than its equilibrium solubility in silicon. In addition to achieving higher concentration levels, consistency is also essential for the manufacture of functional semiconductor materials.

TSMC had previously speculated that microwaves could be used in the annealing (heating) process to promote an increase in phosphorus doping concentration. However, the previous microwave heating sources often produce standing waves, which is not conducive to the consistency of heating. To put it simply, the previous microwave annealing equipment heated the content unevenly.

Scientists at Cornell University have received support from TSMC to carry out microwave annealing research. Earlier this week, Cornell University published a resulting paper that advanced microwave annealing methods have "successfully overcome the basic challenge of high and stable doping above solubility".

The title of this paper is "effective and stable activation of nanocrystalline silicon doped with phosphorus beyond its solubility limit by microwave annealing". The technology is suitable for the latest nanowafer transistor technology, and TSMC has said it will use 2nm nanowires to produce ring gate field effect transistors (GAAFET).

CTOnews.com learned that the lead author of the paper, James Hwang, a research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, told Cornell News blog: "this new microwave method may enable leading manufacturers such as TSMC and Samsung to shrink to the 2nm process."

The study will continue and further funding has been obtained.