Samsung Electronics announced today (6) that researchers from Samsung Advanced Technology Institute (SAIT) have collaborated with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Cambridge University to discover a type of amorphous boron nitride (a -BN) new materials, this research may accelerate the advent of next-generation semiconductor materials.
Samsung said SAIT has been researching and developing two-dimensional (2D) materials recently-crystalline materials with only one layer of atoms. Specifically, the Institute has been devoted to the research and development of graphene, and has achieved breakthrough research results in this field, such as the development of a new type of graphene transistor, and a large-scale single-wafer-level graphene production new method. In addition to research and development of graphene, SAIT has been working to accelerate the commercialization of this material.
According to the report, this newly discovered material is called amorphous boron nitride (a-BN), which consists of boron and nitrogen atoms and has an amorphous structure. Amorphous boron nitride is derived from white graphene, in which boron and nitrogen atoms are arranged in a hexagonal structure, and the molecular structure of a-BN actually makes it unique from white graphene.
Shin Hyeon-jin, head of the SAIT graphene project and principal researcher, said: "In order to enhance the compatibility of graphene with silicon-based semiconductor processes, wafer-level graphene growth on semiconductor substrates should be performed at temperatures below 400 degrees Celsius. We are also constantly striving to extend the use of graphene beyond semiconductors."
Amorphous boron nitride has a first-class ultra-low dielectric constant of 1.78, has strong electrical and mechanical properties, and can be used as an interconnection isolation material to reduce electrical interference. It also proved that this material can be grown on wafers at a low temperature of 400 degrees Celsius. Therefore, amorphous boron nitride is expected to be widely used in semiconductors such as DRAM and NAND solutions, especially next-generation memory solutions for large-scale servers.
In this regard, Park Seong-jun, vice president of SAIT and head of the Inorganic Materials Laboratory, said, "Recently, there is growing interest in 2D materials and new materials derived from them. However, the application of this in existing semiconductor processes There are still many challenges in materials. We will continue to develop new materials to lead the transformation of the semiconductor field."