A few breakthrough from Appled Materials in fab equipment technology
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Applied Materials Introduces Breakthrough Etch Technology for the Terabit Era
June 27, 2012
•Applied Centura Avatar system overcomes challenges to etching new 3D NAND Flash chips
•Etches 80:1 aspect ratio features, as well as structures with greatly varying depths, in a single process
•More than 30 chambers already shipped to customers
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 27, 2012 - Applied Materials, Inc. today advanced the state of the art in etch technology with the launch of the Applied Centura® AvatarTM dielectric etch system. This breakthrough system is designed to solve one of the most demanding challenges in creating the three-dimensional (3D) memory architectures that deliver the high-density, terabit storage capability required for tomorrow's data-intensive mobile devices.
"With the Avatar system, we've capitalized on our leadership in plasma technology to address the unmet challenges of fabricating three-dimensional memory structures that require the etching of deep features in complex multi-layer material stacks," said Dr. Prabu Raja, vice president and general manager of Applied's Etch business group. "Customers are very enthusiastic about the breakthrough capabilities of this new system. We have already shipped more than 30 chambers to multiple customers for critical applications including the pilot production of future chips."
Newly designed from the ground up, the Avatar system etches the deep, narrow features that are a hallmark of 3D NAND memory arrays. These 3D arrays represent an exciting new type of Flash device in which as many as 64 layers of memory cells are built up vertically to create extraordinary bit density in a small area.
The Avatar system can etch holes and trenches in complex film stacks with depth to width aspect ratios of up to 80:1. To illustrate this proportion, the aspect ratio of the Washington Monument is just 10:1. In addition, the system enables the simultaneous and precise etching of features with greatly varying depths - which is critical to fabricating the "staircase" contact structures that connect each layer of memory cells to the outside world.
http://www.appliedmaterials.com/newsroom...erabit-era
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Applied Materials' Unique UVision5 System Delivers World-Class Pattern Monitoring for Sub-20nm Era
July 09, 2012
•DUV laser, brightfield and greyfield technologies deliver up to twice the light to the wafer for unmatched detection sensitivity
•Proprietary image processing algorithms cut noise by 50% to capture defects on dense features
•Tool of record at leading foundries and logic fabs for 2Xnm node and beyond
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 9, 2012 - Applied Materials, Inc. today unveiled its Applied UVision® 5 wafer inspection system for detecting defects in the critical patterning layers of logic devices at the sub-20nm node. The system's deep ultra-violet (DUV) laser and simultaneous brightfield and greyfield light collection capabilities deliver up to double the light intensity to the wafer over previous tools, enabling the UVision 5 system to capture up to twice the number of killer defects. This unmatched sensitivity allows semiconductor manufacturers to achieve more stable and robust control over the fabrication of their smallest circuit features.
"With each advance in technology node, minute imperfections that could previously be ignored suddenly become potential 'killer' defects. Innovations in the UVision 5 system are enabling chipmakers to find and characterize these ultra-small defects to boost yield and reduce cycle time," said Itai Rosenfeld, corporate vice president and general manager of Applied's Process Diagnostics and Control business unit.
"We are excited about the momentum the UVision5 tool has achieved with customers. We've had repeat orders for the system and it is already tool of record at multiple leading logic and foundry manufacturers for 2Xnm device production," added Rosenfeld.
The UVision 5 system's powerful optical system provides up to twice the light density to the wafer and, using its proprietary collection optic path, accumulates up to 30% more scattered light than its predecessor. This feature, combined with new, proprietary image processing algorithms that reduce wafer-induced noise by up to 50%, boost the system's detection capabilities for critical monitoring applications, such as ArF immersion lithography, double and quad patterning and EUVL layers.
For foundry customers, the UVision 5 system introduces compelling time-saving innovations that speed the daunting task of rapidly ramping production of thousands of new chip designs each year. Seamless, "hands-free" integration with Applied's industry-standard SEMVision® G5 defect review system creates the industry's leading fully-integrated defect inspection and review solution, offering chipmakers the fastest, most accurate path from data to information. In addition, the system can utilize design information for building layout data which can improve defect capture rate and save up to 15 hours of operator time per inspection recipe.
http://www.appliedmaterials.com/newsroom...ring-sub-2
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Applied Materials Solves Critical Interconnect Challenge with Breakthrough Flowable Copper Technology
July 10, 2012
•Revolutionary method of depositing the vital wiring seed layer has no foreseeable node limit
•Tool of record at leading chipmakers; more than 30 chambers shipped
•New system introduced in live webcast from Semicon West today at 8:00am PDT
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 10, 2012 - Applied Materials, Inc. today pushed the boundaries of interconnect technology, the pathways that connect the billions of transistors on a chip, with the announcement of its Applied Endura® AmberTM PVD system. Featuring revolutionary copper reflow technology, the Amber system is the only single-chamber solution proven to enable void-free copper structures at the 1Xnm node - a critical challenge in the manufacturing of advanced logic and memory devices.
"The Applied Endura Amber system delivers a breakthrough solution for scaling interconnects beyond the 20nm node while maintaining good production yields," said Sundar Ramamurthy, vice president and general manager of Applied's Metal Deposition Products business unit. "Applied has extended its leading PVD technology with a unique system that achieves rapid, void-free fill of these structures at virtually any device node. We're seeing strong customer momentum for the Amber system with more than 30 chambers already in the field. Systems are already qualified as tool of record at leading logic and memory device manufacturers."
Today's high-density microchips feature complex, multilevel networks with more than 60 miles of copper wiring and as many as 10 billion vertical connections, or vias, between layers. Moving forward, these numbers will significantly increase, with interconnect structures becoming much narrower and deeper, making it extremely difficult for conventional technologies to completely and reliably fill the structure with copper. At the 1Xnm node, this is a major concern, since a single void can render the chip useless.
Applied's Amber copper reflow technology solves this critical challenge by turning the small size of these features from a problem to an advantage. Using capillary action, the deposited copper is drawn into even the smallest features, filling from the bottom upwards to enable rapid, void-free fill from the smallest to the largest features on any die layout.
The Amber system is built on the innovations pioneered with the highly-successful Applied Endura CuBS RFX PVD system. The CuBS RFX system's unique selective PVD technology provides the precise deposition profile - thicker at the bottom and no copper overhang - that is essential for the subsequent reflow process.
http://www.appliedmaterials.com/newsroom...ble-copper-
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