Applied Materials Advances Sub-90nm Contacts with New ALD Tungsten Technology; iSprint ALD/CVD Centura System Brings Unmatched Capability for Current, Future Manufacturing.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 2003 Applied Materials, Inc. introduces its new iSprint(TM) Centura(R) system, the industry's only integrated 300mm ALD/CVD* system for sub-90nm tungsten contact production applications. With an output of more than 65 wafers per hour, a four-chamber iSprint Centura system provides a 50 percent greater throughput per floorspace than its nearest competitor, with up to 40 percent lower consumable and operating costs. The system's ALD ALD abbr. adrenoleukodystrophy ALD, n.pr See adrenoleukodystrophy. ALD aldolase. chamber delivers an ultra-thin, less than 50A (angstrom angstrom (ăng`strəm), abbr. Å, unit of length equal to 10−10 meter (0.0000000001 meter); it is used to measure the wavelengths of visible light and of other forms of electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet ) nucleation nu·cle·a·tion n. 1. The beginning of chemical or physical changes at discrete points in a system, such as the formation of crystals in a liquid. 2. The formation of cell nuclei. layer, reducing contact resistance by up to 15 percent compared to CVD CVD Cardiovascular disease, see there technologies to enable faster, higher yielding devices. "All advanced chips, including copper-based devices, rely on tungsten contacts to connect the transistor and interconnect layers, but current technology reaches its limit at the 90nm device node," said Dr. Fusen Chen, Vice President and General Manager of Applied Materials' Copper, PVD PVD abbr. peripheral vascular disease PVD Peripheral vascular disease, see there and Integrated Systems Product Business Group. "With its unique ability to create an ultra-thin, yet virtually perfect nucleation surface deep inside the contact holes, our ALD technology, combined with our CVD tungsten fill process, extends tungsten contacts to the 90nm generation and far beyond, while at the same time reducing operating costs." Dr. M.S. Liang, Senior Director of R&D and Director of Advanced Module Technology Division of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation TSMC Traffic Systems Management Center TSMC Toll Station Management Controller TSMC Transportation Supply Maintenance Command TSMC Technical Services Manager Code ), said, "Applied Materials' ALD technology through its iSprint tungsten system provides another important solution for manufacturing advanced semiconductor devices, and we value this as a great opportunity for TSMC to consider it in our future chip manufacturing." In addition to its world-class ALD technology, the iSprint system features a high-pressure CVD tungsten bulk fill process, optimized for void-free, high performance plugs and subsequent CMP CMP (cytidine monophosphate): see cytosine. (1) (CMP Media LLC, Manhasset, NY, www.cmp.com) Part of United Business Media, CMP is a leading integrated media company that offers a wide variety of publications and services in the information (chemical mechanical polishing). The iSprint system complements Applied Materials' Endura(R) iLB (integrated liner/barrier) system for titanium/ titanium nitride liner and barrier metal deposition to provide customers with a contact metallization Met`al`li`za´tion n. 1. The act or process of metallizing. solution for current and future device designs. Applied Materials' 300mm iSprint technology is development tool of record or in qualification for 90nm and 65nm devices at multiple customer sites around the world. The company's 200mm iSprint ALD/CVD processes are in pilot production for 90nm devices, while additional 200mm systems are being qualified for 90nm in the U.S., Asia and Europe. In addition to the iSprint system, Applied Materials' ALD portfolio includes the Endura(R) iCuB/S(TM) system, the industry's only product that integrates ALD TaN and CVD copper for barrier/seed applications. According to market researcher Dataquest, the market for CVD tungsten systems was estimated at $95 million in 2002 and is projected to rise to $218 million by 2005. Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT AMAT Applied Materials (stock symbol) AMAT Average Memory Access Time AMAT Automatic Message Accounting Transmitter AMAT Anti-Materiel (bomb or mine) AMAT Ageing Management Assessment Team ), the largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry, is one of the world's leading information infrastructure providers. Applied Materials enables Information for Everyone(TM) by helping semiconductor manufacturers produce more powerful, portable and affordable chips. Applied Materials' web site is www.appliedmaterials.com. *ALD - Atomic Layer Deposition A semiconductor manufacturing technique that deposits a single layer on a chip that is only one atom or one molecule thick. As elements on a chip decreased to below 100 nm, this essential technology for making the chip ever smaller became commercial after the turn of the 21st century. ; CVD - Chemical Vapor Deposition |
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