The research team from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, led by Professor Lee Woong-kyu, has revealed a groundbreaking thin-film process technology aimed at enhancing the performance of next-generation DRAM memory devices. This technology focuses on improving the capacitor performance, a core component of DRAM memory, through Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), which is crucial for the future performance of computers.

In their innovative approach, the team successfully controlled the initial interfacial reactions and oxidation behavior during the thin-film formation process in ALD. This new processing strategy effectively suppresses the formation of unwanted interfacial oxide layers that have previously been recognized as detrimental to capacitor performance. As a result of these advancements, the leakage current characteristics and electrical stability of the memory devices have been significantly improved, marking a critical contribution to the development of deposition-based interfacial control technology essential for the miniaturization of next-generation DRAM.

The research findings have been published in the prestigious materials science journal 'Materials Horizons', which is known for its high impact factor. The team’s work has been honored as the Inside Front Cover paper, underscoring its importance and originality. Professor Lee emphasized that this research provides a fundamental improvement for the operational performance of DRAM capacitors by precisely controlling the initial growth stages of thin films in ALD processes, and it has the potential to be applied to various future thin-film processing studies in the semiconductor field.