Interface-Defect Density Kills Chip Performance

Defects have been one of the biggest issues for the semiconductor industry since its day one causing yield loss, reliability issues, and performance bottlenecks.

As logic and memory nodes shrink, there is a shift from particle-level defects to atomic-level defects where interface defects are at focus area. These interface imperfections form electrical traps, pinholes, and localized leakage paths in thin films.

Why Interface Defect Reduction Matters for Business

Reducing interface defect (commonly quantified as Dit) density isn’t just a technical improvement – it’s a strategic business lever.

In advanced semiconductor manufacturing, even a few %-unit increase in wafer yield can translate into millions of euros in annual savings, especially when producing high-value logic, memory, or sensor chips.

Interface defects directly contribute to leakage current, which not only lowers device efficiency but also increases power consumption, shortens product lifespan, and raises failure rates.

By minimizing Dit, manufacturers can boost yield, reduce warranty costs, and differentiate their products with superior performance and reliability.

In a competitive market where every nanometer and every nanoamp counts, controlling Dit is a key driver of profitability and customer satisfaction.

Interface Defects: The Invisible Performance Killers

The most common ways how interface defects destroys the component performance.

Interface defects introduce trap-assisted conduction paths, enabling electrons to bypass the dielectric barrier via multi-step tunnelling, driving up leakage current.

High Dit also contributes to local hotspot formation, accelerating degradation and compromising long-term reliability.

Failure to manage interface trap density directly affects yield and performance, especially as devices approach atomic-scale dimensions. The reliability and lifespan are also highly linked to the defect density.

Common Strategies to Reduce Interface Defects

Several techniques have emerged to lower Dit in semiconductor interfaces:

Interface Passivation Layers – ALD-deposited Al₂O₃ or nitrides (NO, N₂O) can suppress suboxide formation and chemically passivate traps.

Controlled Annealing – Low-O₂ thermal anneals (e.g., ultra-dry O₂ <0.1%) reduce poor bonding configurations without introducing impurities.

Oxygen-Scavenging or Selective Interlayers – Sublayer structures, such as Al/HfO₂ or Pd/Ti, remove interfacial oxides to suppress defect states.

Hydrogen or Atomic Hydrogen Passivation – Post-deposition H₂ treatments effectively cap dangling bonds and interface Si states.

These methods are providing improvements but not tackling the full issue. The atomic-level contamination is still left on into interfaces. One should also note that even the high quality ALD film is not having the crystallinity.

Why Crystalline Oxides Matter

Replacing traditional amorphous oxide with crystalline SiO₂ interfacial layers offers dual benefits:

A well-ordered crystal structure greatly reduces pinholes, dangling bonds, and trap states.

First-principles modelling shows crystalline interfaces, especially when hydrogen-passivated, deliver dramatically lower tunnelling/leakage currents compared to amorphous counterparts.

Novel Approach: Sisusemi’s Gentle Atomic-Level Treatment

Sisusemi’s innovative solution builds upon three core principles:

Contaminant Removal: A mild, wafer-safe process to eliminate atomic-scale impurities.

Crystal Reordering: Re-ordering atomic-level structure at the surface with help of mildly elevated temperature and ultra-high-vacuum.

Protective Layer: Reforms surface oxide into a crystalline SiO₂ layer with fewer dangling bonds and traps.

When these three things are combined we achieve significant Leakage Current Reduction: Through these structural improvements, trap-assisted tunnelling paths and pinholes are minimized, enabling better yield and performance.

This method effectively closes the gap between amorphous-to-crystalline interface strategies, and can be combined with other traditional methods, e.g. to further boost ALD layer quality.

Real Impact: Quantified Benefits

In our case studies, SisuSemi treatment has been able to deliver transformative results visible in leakage current reduction with state-of-the-art commercial components:

Device Type	Leakage Current Reduction	Business Implication
MOSCap (Si/Al₂O₃)	–67%	Lower leakage → Improved yield and power savings
Photo Detectors	–50%	Higher detection accuracy → Fewer rejects
p–n Diodes	–75%	Enhanced performance → Reliability in niche markets

The business gain in yield directly is closer to 1M EUR annually, with typical volumes and device unit prices. Adding to the direct yield impact, companies can generate competitive edge with better components and simplify the production process when each components behaves similarly.

The fundamental driver for these improvements is the reduction of interface defect density, measured e.g., to as high as –42% at MOSCap example.

Conclusion

High interface defect density simply leads to high leakage + low yield + poor reliability.

Solution path is clear – Lower Dit through surface refinement, crystal ordering, and passivation achieves clear improvements in device performance and durability – especially at advanced nodes.

Sisusemi’s atomic-level cleaning presents a compelling, simplified alternative to complex deposition strategies. With achieved Dit reductions and leakage suppression, it’s poised to drive growth in high-performance semiconductor applications.

Interested in Boosting Chip Performance?