--- title: "From the Bottom Up: Making More Room with Selective Surface Modification" description: Richard Feynman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, gave a famous lecture titled “There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” Today’s microelectronics process engineer, in the context of conventional top down lithography, would find it difficult to accept this statement without a long list of caveats. --- [![BrewerScienceLogo-Horizontal.png](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BrewerHorizontal-White.png?width=1330&name=BrewerHorizontal-White.png "BrewerScienceLogo-Horizontal.png")](https://blog.brewerscience.com) - [Research](https://www.brewerscience.com/research/) - [Overview](https://www.brewerscience.com/research/overview/) - [Patents](https://www.brewerscience.com/research/patents/) - [Publications](https://www.brewerscience.com/research/patents/) - [Processing Theories](https://www.brewerscience.com/processing-theories/spin-coat/) - [Trademarks](https://www.brewerscience.com/research/trademarks/) - 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[trilayer (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/trilayer) - [trilayer resist process (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/trilayer-resist-process) - [ultrathin wafers (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/ultrathin-wafers) - [unilayer processing (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/unilayer-processing) - [unplugged (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/unplugged) - [wafer problems (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/wafer-problems) - [water (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/water) - [wearable devices (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/wearable-devices) - [wearable solar (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/wearable-solar) - [wireless headphones (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/wireless-headphones) - [workplace safety (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/workplace-safety) - [zero landfill (1)](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/zero-landfill) # From the Bottom Up: Making More Room with Selective Surface Modification [Reuben Chacko](https://blog.brewerscience.com/author/reuben-chacko) Apr 26, 2018 ### Subscribe to Our Blog ![surface_modification](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hs-fs/hubfs/surface_modification.png?width=300&name=surface_modification.png)Richard Feynman, who won the [Nobel Prize in Physics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Physics) in 1965, gave a famous lecture titled “There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” Today’s microelectronics process engineer, in the context of conventional top down lithography, would find it difficult to accept this statement without a long list of caveats. Aggressive scaling demands for newer generations of microprocessors have led to extremely tight budgets for tolerances on device dimensions and device placement on a chip, among other challenges. One may argue that there is very “little room at the bottom” for error.   The industry has come up with many creative and innovative ways to address these scaling challenges. One of these being bottom up approaches, as in, building device relevant features from the bottom up. These include directed self-assembly (DSA), other self-aligned methods, and more recently area-selective deposition (ASD). These fabrication tools allow us to innovate outside of the scope of conventional [lithography](https://www.brewerscience.com/products/arc/) and use unconventional methods to circumvent the challenges that plague older technologies. The Selective Surface Modification (SSM) group at Brewer Science, along with its partners at [imec](https://www.imec-int.com/en/home) and other industry leaders, develops materials and processes that enable these bottom-up approaches for industrial scaling. We have recently developed novel materials and processes for surface selective etch modification. These materials, along with the processes, can differentiate between various surfaces and selectively impart desirable etch properties to the surface beneath. We have demonstrated that this concept can be applied to block copolymers, such that one of the blocks of perpendicularly oriented lamella structures can be selectively given slower etch properties. This selective etch property modification enables easier etch transfer into substrates for device manufacture. Brewer Science continues to innovate at the frontier of [semiconductor manufacturing](https://www.brewerscience.com/manufacturing/) from our [multilayer technologies](https://www.brewerscience.com/products/multilayer/) such as OptiStack® materials to [DSA](https://www.brewerscience.com/products/directed-self-assembly/) and selective surface modification for bottom-up approaches. For more information about this work contact us at [info@brewerscience.com](mailto:info@brewerscience.com) or visit [https://www.pathlms.com/avstechnicallibrary/events/988/slide\_presentations/97630](https://www.pathlms.com/avstechnicallibrary/events/988/slide_presentations/97630). [lithography](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/lithography), [DSA](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/dsa), [Selective Surface Modification](https://blog.brewerscience.com/topic/selective-surface-modification) [Defining an Industry: The evolution of Wafer-Level Packaging at Brewer Science](https://blog.brewerscience.com/defining-an-industry-the-evolution-of-wafer-level-packaging-at-brewer-science) [Environmental Awareness: How to Build a Culture of Environmental Responsibility](https://blog.brewerscience.com/environmental-awareness-how-to-build-a-culture-of-environmental-responsibility) ### About Author ![Reuben Chacko](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hubfs/reuben_chacko-1.png) Reuben Chacko Reuben Chacko has been working at Brewer Science since 2013 and is currently a Scientist working as a team leader for R&D lithography projects. He received his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, his MS from the Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Department at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and his BS in Chemistry, from St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi. Related Posts [Hurdling Challenges With High-Temperature Spin-On Carbon Materials](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hurdling-challenges-with-high-temperature-spin-on-carbon-materials) [![Creating the future: The next generation of directed self-assembly](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hs-fs/hub/51396/file-2539352011.png) Creating the future: The next generation of directed self-assembly](https://blog.brewerscience.com/creating-the-future-the-next-generation-of-directed-self-assembly) [![Multi-layer: A better solution in manufacturing](https://blog.brewerscience.com/hs-fs/hub/51396/file-2539352011.png) Multi-layer: A better solution in manufacturing](https://blog.brewerscience.com/multi-layer-a-better-solution-in-manufacturing) - - - - ### Comment ## Subscribe To Blog ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### contact **Brewer Science, Inc.** 2401 Brewer Dr. Rolla, MO 65401 Call us: ([573)364-0300](tel:+1800123456) ### support At Brewer Science, our customer relationships don’t end when you buy materials and equipment. Because we want to work hand-in-hand to get your processes perfect, we’ve empowered an extensive applications and support team to help with all your processing needs. [SUPPORT@BREWERSCIENCE.COM](mailto:SUPPORT@BREWERSCIENCE.COM) [Locations](https://blog.brewerscience.com/about-us/locations/) ### Recent Posts ### connect with us @ 2018 Brewer Science, inc.