{"id":1028,"date":"2010-07-05T16:58:59","date_gmt":"2010-07-05T23:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.betasights.net\/wordpress\/?p=1028"},"modified":"2010-07-05T16:58:59","modified_gmt":"2010-07-05T23:58:59","slug":"aldcvd-system-for-new-materials-rd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.betasights.net\/wordpress\/?p=1028","title":{"rendered":"ALD\/CVD system for new materials R&D"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the world now manufacturing nanoscale ICs and MEMS, new devices require the formation of thin-film coatings from exotic material precursors. Atomic-layer depostion (ALD) as an extension of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology can be used to form both dielectric barriers and metal connections. With a tool designed to deposit almost any thin film, French OEM Altatech Semiconductor S.A.<\/a>, has recently received orders for ALD\/CVD systems that will be used for the R&D of 3D and high-mobility ICs.<\/p>\n

In May of this year, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems (Fraunhofer ENAS)<\/a> in Chemnitz, Germany, ordered an AltaCVD system (figure<\/em>) from Altatech to deposit advanced silicon stressor materials on 200mm wafers. Silicon stressor materials are used to increase the channel mobility of transistors, enabling higher processing speeds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fraunhofer ENAS is scheduled to install the new AltaCVD system in its back-end-of-line (BEOL) cleanroom facility in Chemnitz during the second quarter. A previously installed system is being used to deposit diffusion barrier and copper layers for advanced copper damascene interconnects and through-silicon-via (TSV) features.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter evaluating Altatech\u2019s innovative technology and its AltaCVD equipment, we have ordered a system for our lab, where we\u2019re developing nanometric thin films to advance the state of semiconductor processing. The use of liquid-phase precursor injection and evaporation is a key enabling technology for this work,\u201d said Prof. Stefan E. Schulz, head of back-end-of-line operations at Fraunhofer ENAS.<\/p>\n

Altatech also won an order by Fraunhofer IZM’s new All Silicon System Integration Dresden (ASSID)<\/span><\/a> group for a 300mm AltaCVD system. Just opened on 31 May 2010, the ASSID is specially designed for projects in 3D wafer-level system integration (200\/300 mm) and prototype development for manufacturing partners in industry. As part of the Fraunhofer IZM Institute, which specializes in transferring IC advanced packaging and system integration research results to industry, ASSID is integrated into a technology network of applied research institutes and universities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The equipment is scheduled to go online in the third quarter of this year at ASSID. The site\u2019s Class 1,000 cleanroom is equipped with a complete 300mm wafer fabrication line for TSV formation and post-processing on both the frontside and backside of wafers, wafer thinning, 3D device stacking, and package assembly and testing. ASSID will use the AltaCVD system to create <\/span>through silicon vias (TSV), processing both standard and thin silicon wafers. The low-temperature AltaCVD tool will deposit stacks of film layers and ultrathin, conformal isolation layers inside deep vias and trenches with aspect ratios as high as 40:1.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to handling either 200 mm or 300 mm wafers, AltaCVD\u2019s flexible architecture allows it to be used in volume production for plasma-enhanced deposition (PECVD) of dielectric materials, stacks and metal films as well as in R&D for metal-organic processing (MOCVD) in back-end-of-line (BEOL) applications such as creating direct-platable barriers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Altatech Semiconductor\u2019s AltaCVD platform uses direct injection of liquid precursors and an advanced flash-vaporization system in processing wafers up to 300 mm. The modular system can accommodate a wide range of vaporization and deposition temperatures, enabling users to select the optimal process windows for their specific applications, which can include deposition of advanced materials for high-k gate dielectrics, metal gate electrodes, capacitors and 3D integration. For thermal CVD or RF-enhanced deposition steps, a low-frequency plasma enables tuning of the thin film\u2019s mechanical, electrical and optical properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough our partnerships with Fraunhofer ENAS and other leading research centers, we are continuing to develop liquid-precursor deposition processes for high-k\/metal gates, through-silicon-vias, memory and capacitor applications,\u201d said Jean-Luc Delcarri, president of Altatech Semiconductor. \u201cWe\u2019re also working with IDMs and foundries to bring liquid-precursor deposition to their high-volume 300 mm fabs. And we\u2019ve begun applying our CVD technology to create advanced thin films for solar cells, high-brightness LEDs and other microelectronics markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Key features of Altatech’s low-pressure injection (LPI) vaporizer (figure<\/em>):<\/p>\n