ALD stories podcast

Episode 31 features German ALD professor, Dr. Martin Knaut. Martin is the chair for the Institute of Semiconductor and Microsystems Technology at TU Dresden and the atomic layer processing group leader. He is also a founding member of the Atomic Layer Process Innovation Network, or ALPIN, organizer of the annual ALD for Industry event, and runs a small in situ tool development company, called ALS Metrology. With a long career working with ALD in Dresden, at the likes of Infineon and Qimonda, Martin has witnessed the ebbs and flows of the semiconductor industry in the state of Saxony. Martin and Tyler discuss the goal of the Silicon Saxony organization, how we can better recruit students in microelectronics, and why he originally started the Atomic Layer Process Innovation Network. They also discuss his company, ALS Metrology, the importance of using in situ monitoring for process development, and his work on flash-enhanced ALD. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 01:48 Martin’s background & semiconductors in Dresden 10:00 Recruiting issues for microelectronics 17:29 ALPIN & ALD for Industry events 29:34 ALS Metrology 34:57 Importance of in situ monitoring 41:59 Flash-Enhanced ALD 53:55 Concluding remarks

In this episode, Tyler is joined by Professor Carl Hägglund from Uppsala University. They discuss Carl’s motivations for pursuing ultrathin solar cells, how he learned ALD at Stanford in Stacey Bent’s lab, and an unlikely research connection through his child’s school. They also talk about why ALD is useful for plasmonic solar cells, optimization of SnS ALD and his planned path towards a fully realized ultrathin photovoltaic.  00:00 Introduction  01:45 Motivation for fabricating plasmonic solar cells  09:58 Learning ALD at Stanford  22:46 Optimizing SnS ALD process  30:33 Path towards an ultrathin solar cell

Dr. Suvi Haukka, former executive technologist at ASM, ASM Fellow and ALD Innovator Awardee, joins Tyler for Episode 29. Suvi began her ALD career at Microchemistry in Finland working on atomic layer epitaxy on catalysts for under the direction of ALD technology inventor, Tuomo Suntola. She continued with Microchemistry as head of the thin film development group before spending most of her time teaching the world’s biggest semiconductor companies, like Intel and Samsung, about ALD. Suvi is one of the integral people in introducing ALD to the semiconductor industry in the 2000s.  Suvi and Tyler discuss how she started working with ALD, what it was like to do a PhD with Tuomo Suntola, and how the make up of Microchemistry changed over the years. We also discuss the circumstances surrounding the ASM acquisition, how development changed under new leadership, and how it felt pitching ALD to the semiconductor industry.   In this episode:    00:32 Introduction to Microchemistry  06:01 Doing a PhD with Tuomo Suntola  19:00 Visiting semiconductor companies  25:37 Post-ASM acquisition

In Episode 28 of ALD Stories, Tyler is joined by Aalto University’s Hele Savin. Hele is a professor in the department of Electronics and Nanoengineering where she uses ALD to engineer photovoltaics and semiconductor devices. In 2017, Hele was awarded the women’s innovation prize from the Finnish parliament after fabricating a black silicon solar cell with a record-breaking 22.1% efficiency and currently uses ALD to create induced junction photodiodes with over 100% external quantum efficiency.     Hele and Tyler discuss how she was first exposed to ALD by Beneq, a mindset that using ALD was dirty, and how mind-blowing early ALD passivation results were. We also talk about why ALD oxides are better than thermal SiO2, the theoretical implications of breaking 100% EQE, and upcoming work in up conversion in her lab.    In this episode:    00:00 Intro  07:45 First experience with ALD  16:37 Passivation of Black Si Solar cells  29:52 ALD for Induced Junction Diodes  39:06 Theoretical Implications of High EQE  47:35 Future Up Conversion work

For Ep. 27, Dr. Rob Clark from Tokyo Electron joins to discuss his rise from an equipment know-nothing to ALD process engineer extraordinaire. Rob, the self-proclaimed Manipulator of Matter, is a Senior MTS and Technology Director at TEL where he leads process and integration of thin film deposition methods for next-generation semiconductor devices.     Recorded live at ALD ALE 2023 in Washington, Rob and Tyler discuss how he first learned ALD on CVD equipment, the early days of high-k ALD process development, and his work in making some of the first hafnium precursors for ALD integration in semicon at Schumacher. They also talk about his time as the only engineer at NanoFab North in Albany, how incredibly advanced semiconductor technology has become, and what the next decade of ALD research might look like.    In this episode:    00:00 Introduction   01:58 Post-grad at Schumacher  13:23 Learning the ALD ropes  19:16 Early HfO2 process development  23:40 Albany, NY Semi ecosystem  32:32 ALD process development insights  42:24 How cool are semiconductors?!’  49:44 Rob’s ALD Outlook