AVS2013 Session MS+AS+EM+NS+PS+TF-MoA: IPF 2013-Manufacturing Challenges for Emerging Technologies: III. Manufacturing Challenges: Electronics

The advancement of graphene and graphene based products will require a research and development progression similar to materials and development programs are now in full production, e.g. Si industry. The graphene research community has made significant progress over the past nearly a decade now in the physics and chemistry of graphene. We are now full engaged in the materials and device development and in some cases initial product stages. The introduction of any graphene based product will require the identification of materials, device and product metrics in order to properly keep track of the progress toward the product goals. In this presentation I will review and discuss the roadmap for various graphene based applications and present the status of materials and devices for nanoelectronic applications.

Directed Self-Assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCP) is based on nano-scale phase separation. Depending on the relative volume fraction of the blocks, different morphological structures may form in the bulk of these materials. In the case of di-block copolymers, specifically the lamellar and cylindrical phase provide structures that may be used to form line/space and hole-type patterns, respectively. When thin films of BCPs are applied on substrates that provide a pre-pattern to guide the assembly process, the orientation and direction of the resulting structures can be controlled. DSA has gained significant attention as a next method for mainstream nano-fabrication in a time span of just a few years. The primary interest in the DSA technology includes the inherent variability control (since dimension is controlled through the polymer molecular weight) and the high pattern densities (typical length scales are on the order of 3-50nm) that are accessible. The outstanding questions that need to be answered in order to prove readiness of DSA for semiconductor manufacturing include defectivity, pattern transfer capabilities, pattern placement accuracy, design rule restrictions that are imposed by DSA and demonstration in an electrically functional device.

Phase Change Memory (PCM) is a Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) technology that provides a set of features interesting for new applications, combining features of NVM and DRAM. PCM is at the same time a sustaining and a disruptive technology. From application point of view, PCM can be exploited by all the memory systems, especially the ones resulting from the convergence of consumer, computer and communication electronics. PCM technology relies on the ability of chalcogenide alloys, typically Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST), to reversibly switch from amorphous state to poly-crystalline state. The two stable states differs for electrical resistivity, thus the information is stored in the resistance of the bit.

The alteration of the bit is possible thanks to melt-quench of the active material achieved by fast (10-100ns) electrical pulses. The energy delivered to program a bit is in the order of 10pJ, with a state of the art access time of 85ns, read throughput 266MB/s and write throughput 9MB/s. These peculiar features combined with data retention, single bit alterability, execution in place and good cycling performance enables traditional NVM utilizations but also already opened applications in LPDDR filed. Moreover PCM is considered the essential ingredient to push to the market the so called Storage-Class Memory (SCM), a non-volatile solid-state memory technology that is capable of fill the gap between CPU and disks.

In this perspective PCM technology can be effectively exploited in wireless systems, in solid state storage subsystem, in PCIe-attached storage arrays and in computing platform, exploiting the non-volatility to reduce the power consumption.

In order to be able to enter into a well established memory market there are key factors that must be fulfilled: i) match the cost of the existing technology in terms of cell size and process complexity, ii) find application opportunities optimizing the overall “memory system” and iii) provide a good perspective in terms of scalability. Phase Change Memory has been able so far to progress in line with all these requirements. Aim of this presentation is to review the PCM technology status and to discuss specific opportunities for PCM to enter in the broad memory market.