Mitigation of Delamination of Epitaxial Large-Area Boron Nitride for Semiconductor Processing

TL;DR

This paper presents a controlled delamination and redeposition technique that prevents degradation of epitaxial boron nitride during wet processing, enabling its integration into semiconductor devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to mitigate delamination of large-area epitaxial BN, facilitating multi-step lithography without compromising material quality.

Findings

Effective prevention of BN layer degradation during processing

Compatibility with standard photolithography techniques

Applicable to BN layers of various thicknesses

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a promising material for next-generation semiconductor and optoelectronic devices due to its wide bandgap and remarkable optical properties. To apply this material in the semiconductor industry, it is necessary to grow large-area layers on the wafer-scale. For this purpose, chemical vapor deposition methods are highly preferable. However, in the case of epitaxial BN, its fragility and susceptibility to delamination and fold formation during wet processing, such as lithography, present significant challenges to its integration into device fabrication. In this work, we introduce a controlled delamination and redeposition method that effectively prevents the layer from degradation, allowing for multi-step lithographic processes. This approach is applicable to BN layers across a broad thickness range, from tens to hundreds of nanometers, and ensures compatibility with standard photolithographic techniques without compromising the material's intrinsic properties. By addressing key processing challenges, this method paves the way for integrating epitaxial BN into advanced semiconductor and optoelectronic technologies.