AlixLabs has developed a new, innovative method for manufacturing semiconductor components with a high degree of packing, which eliminates several steps in the manufacturing process - Atomic Layer Etch Pitchsplitting (APS)*. The method makes the components cheaper and less resource-intensive to manufacture and can open up a new path for a more sustainable mass production of electronics.
Atomic Layer Etching for Nano Device Fabrication
We provide an ALE-based method of manufacturing nanostructures with a characteristic size below 20 nm.
This is a new method of nanostructure fabrication using the atomic layer etching process, which is inherently a damage-free etch process. The recently discovered etching process selectivity to inclined surfaces, allows to use walls of tapered structures as a mask.
The inclined surfaces can be readily fabricated by e.g. dry etching or epitaxial growth, and will provide masking during the atomic layer etching process. This process therefore provides access to fabrication of extremely small structures in a very precise and efficient way.
Applications
This invention achieves nanostructure fabrication beyond the resolution limit for optical and electron beam lithography, with applications in e.g. nanoelectronic device fabrication. Among other uses, this invention may enable an economically affordable way of transistor channel scaling for sub-20 nm technology nodes.
