New Applied technology spurs drive into copper

Electronic News, Dec 15, 1997 by Dylan McGrath

Santa Clara, Calif.--Applied Materials is making a major push into the budding market for copper deposition tools, beginning with the recent announcement of its Endura Electra Cu system.

The system is based on and set up identically to Applied's popular Endura platform. It takes advantage of Applied's new Electra IMP technology to perform an integrated process sequence that deposits a tantalum or tantalum nitride barrier layer, followed by a thin "seed" layer of copper. Because etch cannot be done in copper, process engineers must deposit a thin layer of tantalum or tantalum nitride, etch that layer and then fill with copper. Electra takes care of the first two critical steps in the inlaid copper process, which industry observers see as a growing market. In July, Dataquest forecast the market for copper deposition equipment to grow from approximately $10 million in 1997 to $240 million by 2002. (See related story on page one.)

Increasing wiring density and higher power consumption are driving the migration to copper in the manufacturing of advanced logic and microprocessor ICs. Because of its greater conductivity, lower resistivity and greater electrical reliability when compared with aluminum, using copper can reduce the layers of metal needed to design an IC.

Applied is currently shipping several Endura Electra Cu systems to major customers, according to Moris Kori, chief marketing officer for Applied's Metal Deposition Product Business group.

Applied is currently putting together a dedicated copper technology center in Santa Clara. The company will use this facility to evaluate copper processes and tools. Mr. Kori, who expects the facility to be up and running by mid-1998, said Applied will assemble all its copper-related technologies in the technology center, as well as a recently acquired ASM Lithography tool, to incorporate lithography into the process. "We're going to be able to understand and clear all potential hurdles," Mr. Kori said. "What we are trying to do here is provide our customers with a complete process." Eventually, he said, Applied will have equipment available to cater to every portion of the copper deposition process. The company already has technology available for every step, but is working on new methods of copper fill. "We have a PVD-based copper fill technology, but we are looking at alternatives," he said.

"Since 1996, Applied Materials has revolutionized physical vapor deposition capability by successfully commercializing ion metal plasma technology," said Ashok K. Sinha, president of the metal deposition business group. "This proprietary technology is currently being used by the semiconductor industry's lead-edge manufacturers. u