Exploring the Future of Thin Film Deposition
At the recent EUROnanoLAB Workshop on CVD & ALD, held in Toulouse, France (15–16 October), experts from across Europe gathered to exchange insights into the latest developments in deposition technologies. Among the speakers was Paul Plate, Head of the Application Team at SENTECH, who shared cutting-edge results from ongoing collaborations focused on atomic layer deposition (ALD) and inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ICPECVD).
Pushing the Boundaries of ALD and ICPECVD
Paul Plate’s presentation highlighted new advances in scalable, high-performance thin film processing that leverage both ALD and ICPECVD. These complementary techniques are essential for achieving precise control of thin film properties while maintaining compatibility with advanced semiconductor and nanotechnology applications.
SENTECH’s expertise in low-damage ICPECVD, developed over thirty years, continues to play a crucial role in improving material quality and uniformity. This experience, gained through the widely used SI 500 D system, which is configured to deposit SiO2, SiNx, SiOxNy, and a-Si films in a temperature range from room temperature up to 400 °C. The SI 500 D is an ideal solution for many materials, including the deposition of TEOS, SiC, and other materials with liquid or gaseous precursors. This experience in ICPECVD was instrumental in developing the SENTECH SI PEALD system, which delivers excellent step coverage and conformality, ensuring consistent coatings on 3D architectures, critical in the semiconductor industry for high-k dielectrics, diffusion barriers, and gate oxides.
Advancing Deposition with Real-Time Process Monitoring
A key feature of the SENTECH SI PEALD system is its in-situ process monitoring capability, enabled by the SENTECH AL Real Time Monitor. This technology provides precise monitoring control, and reproducibility, critical for high-quality thin film results.
Innovation Through Collaboration
During the workshop, attendees had the opportunity to visit the state-of-the-art cleanroom facility at LAAS-CNRS, a member of the RENATECH network of French academic cleanrooms. This visit offered participants a first-hand look at advanced fabrication environments where ALD and ICPECVD technologies are applied in real-world research and production settings.
SENTECH’s collaborative approach emphasises working closely with academic and industrial partners to push the boundaries of thin film deposition. When you purchase a SENTECH system, you get more than just a versatile and modular tool, you also receive application support for the lifecycle duration of your machine. At SENTECH, we believe these long-term partnerships accelerate innovation and ensure that new solutions are constantly evolving to meet the demanding requirements of advanced material processing challenges.
Discover More About SENTECH Deposition Systems
With decades of experience and innovation in ALD and ICPECVD, SENTECH continues to set new standards in thin film deposition technology. For further information or to find out more about our complete range of deposition systems, please contact us sales@sentech.de
