Self-formation in Microelectronics

Abstract

The external formation of integrated circuits based on lithographic processes is not the only possible method for manufacturing electron devices, either integrated circuits or photovoltaic cells. Planar technology, based on external formation, requires a certain sequence of interactions between the structured medium and the object being formed, in which the configuration of the region to be formed and its position are defined by the structure of the media and their alignment with the object. By contrast, in self-formation the interaction between an object to be formed and its chaotic medium is controlled by the object structure itself, and it is this interaction that changes the object's structure, leading to its increasing complexity. Three kinds of self-formation can be used in manufacturing: self-formation, based on a certain sequential interaction between an object and chaotic media; development, which requires only a single chaotic medium; and reproduction, which involves a developing object generating primary objects. All these cases represent self-formation of artificial systems. Simpler patterns of self-formation have already led to various patents and technologies, while more complex ones may be applied in the future. The following article attempts to define the necessary and sufficient conditions for self-formation.