Date: 06/10/2009

Novellus extend SPEED Max STI manufacturing process to 32nm technology node

Novellus has announced that it has extended the manufacturing process of SPEED Max shallow trench isolation (STI) application to 32nm technology node, which takes advantage of the dynamic profile control (DPC) of the SPEED Max high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) platform.

By tailoring the deposition, etch, and sputter-to-deposition (S/D) ratio, Novellus developed a single-pass, sequential profile modulation technique using fluorine (SPM-F) to fill 32nm features. The process meets the stringent integration requirements of STI logic applications and the productivity required for high volume manufacturing.

To achieve complete gapfill at 32nm and beyond, conventional HDP deposition processes that utilize alternating deposition and etch cycles to fill a feature must be carefully controlled. Too many deposition/etch cycles, or inadequate control of process uniformity, in excessive clipping or voids within the trenches, leading to yield loss.

Insufficient gapfill can be overcome by adding an ex-situ wet etch process, but at the cost of added defects, integration complexity, and lower productivity. To achieve complete gapfill without the use of an ex-situ wet etch step, parameters like S/D ratio, process chemistry, and etch uniformity must be optimized across the wafer.

Novellus has developed a unique SPM-F gapfill process using the SPEED Max platform that eliminates the need for an ex-situ wet etchback step. Using SPEED Max's isolated plasma source and DPC technology, complete fill of 32nm structures was achieved by reducing the oxide top-hat build-up, and eliminating clipping in both dense arrays and isolated features. By eliminating the need for an external wet etchback step, the new SPEED Max SPM-F process also meets the productivity and defect requirements of 32nm high-volume manufacturing.

"The gapfill and defectivity results we achieved on 32nm structures allowed us to back-qualify the SPEED Max process to a previous technology node and eliminate ex-situ wet etch processing, said Dr. Kaihan Ashtiani, vice president and general manager of the Gapfill business unit. "This eliminates a second wafer pass through the HDP tool, resulting in an increased fab productivity."

For more details www.novellus.comNovellus has announced that it has extended the manufacturing process of SPEED Max shallow trench isolation (STI) application to 32nm technology node, which takes advantage of the dynamic profile control (DPC) of the SPEED Max high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDP-CVD) platform.

By tailoring the deposition, etch, and sputter-to-deposition (S/D) ratio, Novellus developed a single-pass, sequential profile modulation technique using fluorine (SPM-F) to fill 32nm features. The process meets the stringent integration requirements of STI logic applications and the productivity required for high volume manufacturing.

To achieve complete gapfill at 32nm and beyond, conventional HDP deposition processes that utilize alternating deposition and etch cycles to fill a feature must be carefully controlled. Too many deposition/etch cycles, or inadequate control of process uniformity, in excessive clipping or voids within the trenches, leading to yield loss.

Insufficient gapfill can be overcome by adding an ex-situ wet etch process, but at the cost of added defects, integration complexity, and lower productivity. To achieve complete gapfill without the use of an ex-situ wet etch step, parameters like S/D ratio, process chemistry, and etch uniformity must be optimized across the wafer.

Novellus has developed a unique SPM-F gapfill process using the SPEED Max platform that eliminates the need for an ex-situ wet etchback step. Using SPEED Max's isolated plasma source and DPC technology, complete fill of 32nm structures was achieved by reducing the oxide top-hat build-up, and eliminating clipping in both dense arrays and isolated features. By eliminating the need for an external wet etchback step, the new SPEED Max SPM-F process also meets the productivity and defect requirements of 32nm high-volume manufacturing.

"The gapfill and defectivity results we achieved on 32nm structures allowed us to back-qualify the SPEED Max process to a previous technology node and eliminate ex-situ wet etch processing, said Dr. Kaihan Ashtiani, vice president and general manager of the Gapfill business unit. "This eliminates a second wafer pass through the HDP tool, resulting in an increased fab productivity."

For more details www.novellus.com