Guobiao Zhang, Ph.D., patent licensing, Applications of Protective Ceramics ProMO

Protective Metal Oxides (ProMO)

- Candidates for Silicon Oxide Replacement

U.S. Patent 5,838,530 & Chinese Patent ZL 98 1 19257.2

As silicon oxide thickness approaches its useful limit, new materials are being searched. Inspired by stainless steel, protective metal oxides (ProMO) are considered as better candidates for SiO₂ replacement. ProMO has a Pilling-Bedworth ratio larger than 1 and preferably less than 2. Some "protective" and "non-protective" metal oxides are listed in Table 1. Quite surprisingly, several popular metal oxides are "non-protective".

Table 1. Pilling-Bedworth Ratios of Various Metal Oxides

Intrinsic ProMO

Non-Protective Oxides

Be 1.59	K 0.45
Cu 1.68	Ag 1.59
Al 1.28	Cd 1.21
Cr 1.99	Ti 1.95
Mn 1.79	Mo 3.40
Fe 1.77	Hf 2.61
Co 1.99	Sb 2.35
Ni 1.52	W 3.40
Pd 1.60	Ta 2.33
Pb 1.40	U 3.05
Ce 1.16	V 3.18

To get a copy of U.S. Patent 5,838,530, "Applications of Protective Ceramics", Click Here (in pdf format, ~714kB)

To get a copy of the article "Improving IC Yield with Protective Ceramics" published in Semiconductor International June '00, for html format, Click here; for pdf format, Click here (~220kB)

To get a copy of the article "Candidates for Silicon Oxide Replacement" published in Semiconductor Online Nov. '00, for html format, Click here.