The drive toward new semiconductor technologies is intricately related
to market demands for cheaper, smaller, faster, and more reliable
circuits with lower power consumption. The development of new processing
tools and technologies is aimed at optimizing one or more of these
requirements. This goal can, however, only be achieved by a concerted
effort between scientists, engineers, technicians, and operators in
research, development, and manufac- turing. It is therefore important
that experts in specific disciplines, such as device and circuit design,
understand the principle, capabil- ities, and limitations of tools and
processing technologies. It is also important that those working on
specific unit processes, such as lithography or hot processes, be
familiar with other unit processes used to manufacture the product.
Several excellent books have been published on the subject of process
technologies. These texts, however, cover subjects in too much detail,
or do not cover topics important to modem tech- nologies. This book is
written with the need for a "bridge" between different disciplines in
mind. It is intended to present to engineers and scientists those parts
of modem processing technologies that are of greatest importance to the
design and manufacture of semi- conductor circuits. The material is
presented with sufficient detail to understand and analyze interactions
between processing and other semiconductor disciplines, such as design
of devices and cir- cuits, their electrical parameters, reliability, and
yield.
