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Molecular
Beam Epitaxy (MBE) from Research to Production
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 Alfred
Y. Cho
Director
of Semiconductor Research
Bell
Laboratories, Lucent
Technologies
600
Mountain Avenue Murray Hill, NJ 07974
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Abstract
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| Molecular
beam epitaxy is a thin film process for the growth of single crystalline
semiconductor, metal, and insulator materials. A unique feature of
MBE is the ability to prepare layers with atomic precision. The film
grows atomic layer by atomic layer. These thin layer structures form
the basis of many high-performance semiconductor devices such as high-speed
electronic circuits, lasers, and detectors. Most of the semiconductor
lasers used in today's compact disc players are currently manufactured
using MBE. |
| Recently,
MBE fabricated the world's first unipolar semiconductor laser called
the Quantum Cascade Laser. This laser is fundamentally different from
conventional lasers in that it can be tailored to emit light at a
specific wavelength by simply varying the quantum well width using
the same combination of semiconducting materials. |
| MBE
is now a high volume production technology. Multi-wafer, high throughput
MBE systems such as the Riber MBE 6000 and the VG Semicon V150 can
grow four 6", nine 4", or sixteen 3" wafers on each platen using complete
computer controlled automation. The annual throughput of each machine
exceeds 10,000 6" wafers with process uniformity and reproducibility
within 1%. Companies such as TRW, RF Micro Devices (RFMD), and Quantum
Epitaxial Designs (QED now IQE) use MBE for mass production of microwave
devices. The new trend in processing is system integration with in-situ
real-time monitoring for high yield, low cost, and high reliability. |
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Biography
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| Alfred
Y. Cho was born in Beijing, China and received his BS, MS, and
Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois. He
joined Bell Laboratories in 1968 as a Member of Technical Staff and
was promoted to Department Head in 1984. He was named Director of
the Materials Processing Research Laboratory in 1987 and in 1990 became
Director of Semiconductor Research. His pioneering work on Molecular
Beam Epitaxy (MBE) has had significant impact on the semiconductor
industry, leading to the making of faster and more efficient electronic
and photonic devices. It also has produced new scientific discoveries
in quantum physics and all major universities throughout the world
have MBE systems. |
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Dr. Cho
has received numerous awards and honors for these efforts including
the U.S. National Medal of Science, presented by President Clinton,
the IEEE Medal of Honor, the Elliott Cresson Medal of the Franklin
Institute, and the Computers and Communications Prize of the C &
C Foundation, Japan. He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Academia Sinica, the Third World Academy of Sciences, the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering,
the U.S.National Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical
Society.
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| President
Clinton announced on September 19,2000 he will appoint Bell Labs researcher
Al Cho as a member of the President's Committee on the National Medal
of Science. Cho is Semiconductor Research Vice President at Bell Labs,
Lucent Technologies in Murray Hill, N.J. |
| The
National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 (42 U.S.C.
1880) to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions
to science and engineering. Up to twenty individuals may be honored
in any one calendar year. Medal of Science recipients are selected
by the President's Committee on the National Medal of Science. |
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