Aug 16 2005
Applied Materials, Inc. today announced that it has shipped over 100 Applied Endura(R) CuBS systems to 300mm fabs, including systems to all chipmakers engaged in sub-90nm production or development. Introduced in 1998, the Endura CuBS is the leading PVD(1) system for depositing the tantalum nitride (TaN) barrier and copper seed layers that are critical to fabricating copper interconnect structures.
"Through continued advances in PVD technology, we've extended our technical and market leadership in barrier/seed from 130nm to the 65nm chip generation, and our latest SIP EnCoRe(TM) II barrier/seed technology is the only one being used for 45nm at the largest and most technically advanced IDMs and foundries," said Dr. Farhad Moghadam, senior vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Thin Films Product Business Group. "This leading barrier/seed technology is a key part of our copper/low k interconnect solutions, which cover all of the deposition, etch and CMP(1) technologies involved in interconnect fabrication. Our extensive knowledge of the fully integrated process flow gives us a unique ability to help customers quickly develop and ramp their next-generation interconnects."
In late 2004, the Applied Endura CuBS system was enhanced with leading-edge SIP EnCoRe II chambers that extend PVD technology to the 45nm node and beyond. These chambers feature a novel sputtering source that deposits ALD(1)-like, thin conformal films, even at the bottom of very deep, small via holes. Applied's SIP EnCoRe II technology also cuts consumables cost by increasing copper target lifetime over 2x (to over 30,000 wafers) with the industry's lowest defect levels.