To All, Sometimes it's useful to reread an article:
New materials will complicate move to 0.18-micron processing
Experts say industry faces one of its biggest challenges ever
techweb.cmp.com
Excerpt:
To achieve the high device speeds and densities needed, copper will have to replace aluminum as the interconnect lines on 0.18-micron ICs.
The copper line processing itself may actually reduce production costs, believes Jon Dahm, Sematech interconnect director. Dual damascene inlay processing of copper can lay down the metal interconnect and fill vias at the same time. This would eliminate the separate tungsten plug now needed to fill the vias. Copper lines can also be fabricated closer together on a wafer, Dahm said, which potentially could reduce the number of layers needed and provide even more cost savings.
Copper lines can also be formed by electroplating the wafer, a process that could be less expensive than using the present CVD or PVD tools, he said. However, electroplating has rarely if ever been used in IC manufacturing. As a result, it will have to be tested and qualified before it can be accepted, the Sematech official said.
Working with major CVD and PVD tool makers, Sematech achieved a major milestone last month fabricating the first copper metalized wafers. Dahm expected member chip companies shortly would begin sampling their first prototype chips using copper interconnect. First applications will be predominately for logic applications, he expected. |
