Applied Materials Releases Integrated CVD/PVD System for Lining Critical Contact and Via Structures; Liner TxZ Centura Combines New CVD TiN Chamber with Coherent PVD Ti to Deliver High Yield, Low Temperature, Metallization Sequence.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 1996--Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) launches a unique, fully integrated system that combines a new chemical vapor deposition (CVD) titanium nitride (TiN) chamber with a Coherent physical vapor deposition (PVD) titanium (Ti) chamber.

By combining the two chambers on the Centura platform, semiconductor manufacturers can deposit sequential layers of Ti and CVD TiN in high-aspect-ratio metal structures under vacuum -- thereby controlling the growth of unwanted oxide between processing steps.

The high-productivity Liner TxZ Centura also provides exceptional TiN step coverage at low temperatures, making it ideally suited for the advanced multilevel metallization schemes of 0.35 micron- generation devices and beyond.

Dr. Ashok Sinha, president of Applied Materials' CVD Product Business Group, noted, "As industry leaders in metal CVD and PVD, Applied Materials' now offers an integrated system to significantly boost yields in interconnect applications for deep sub-half micron technologies. The Liner TxZ Centura performs a key process sequence with outstanding technical results, small footprint and extendibility to future generations."

A critical part of the Liner TxZ system is the company's CVD TiN technology, which is now available on the high-productivity, low cost "xZ-series" deposition chamber. Called the TxZ, the new chamber offers excellent particle and mean-wafer-between-wet-clean (MWBC) performance -- and has no consumable parts.

Marathon testing has shown a MWBC of greater than 3000 wafers, with average in-film particle density below 0.05/sqcm at 0.2 micron. The CVD TiN process provides high conformal coverage in 0.25 micron diameter, 4.1 aspect ratio contacts at low temperatures. The resultant film is essentially stress-free, exhibiting superior barrier characteristics in the critical bottom corner areas of these advanced structures for high process yields.

"The Liner TxZ is another enabling system for the most advanced device designs, including those using borderless contacts, unlanded vias and future damascene structures," said Dr. Sinha.

"This is a high-value, production-ready system representative of our market leadership. Having the titanium nitride process available on the xZ-type chamber demonstrates our philosophy of joining advanced technologies with high-volume production hardware to maximize our customers' productivity, while lowering their cost of operation."

Dr. Steve Tso, general manager of Applied Materials' CVD Advanced Technologies Division, said, "We've been steadily developing the capabilities of the CVD titanium nitride technology since 1993 by lowering particles and resistivity, while making many other productivity enhancements. This integrated configuration combines the best of two highly developed metal deposition technologies."

A typical configuration for the Liner TxZ Centura is one Preclean II chamber, one Coherent Ti chamber, and two CVD TxZ TiN chambers.

Commitments for Liner TxZ Centura systems have been received from key customers in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific regions, with systems available in the fourth calendar quarter of 1996. Extension of the integrated Ti/TiN CVD/PVD technology to the company's Endura PVD platform is scheduled for 1997.

The Liner TxZ system is part of a large-scale corporate initiative at Applied Materials to develop a broad array of integrated processing sequences. The company's Process Sequence Integration (PSI) program is coordinating complete modules of sequentially linked process technologies to manufacture specific structures on a semiconductor device.

Chipmakers can pre-qualify these modules in the Applied Materials demonstration labs prior to installation in the fab. Buying pre-qualified, supplier-integrated modules or systems bypasses the lengthy integration procedure that typically occurs after installation -- saving semiconductor manufacturers time and money.

A group of systems designed to fabricate a complete structure in the semiconductor device can be installed and started up directly to production.

Applied Materials Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "AMAT." Applied Materials' web site is http://www.AppliedMaterials.com.

CONTACT: Applied Materials

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