AMD going with Novellus. ANy comments??
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AMD Purchases the Novellus INOVA(TM) HCM PVD System for Copper Chip Production Novellus'
Advanced Copper Barrier/Seed System to Be Used for Microprocessor Manufacturing at Fab 30,
Dresden, Germany
SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2000 8:00:00 PM EST
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jul 9, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- -- Novellus Systems Inc. NVLS, the
productivity and innovation leader in thin film deposition technology for the global semiconductor
industry, today announced that Advanced Micro Devices AMD plans to use a Novellus INOVA(TM)
hollow cathode magnetron (HCM(TM)) physical vapor deposition (PVD) copper barrier/seed system
for production. AMD plans to use the INOVA for manufacturing advanced, 0.18-micron AMD
Athlon(TM) microprocessors, made with copper interconnects, at the company's Fab 30
manufacturing plant in Dresden, Germany. In addition, AMD and Novellus are working toward
developing advanced PVD copper barrier/seed solutions for future device generations.
"The process margin, as well as good device yields resulting from the INOVA's HCM technology,
combined with the high productivity of the INOVA platform were key determinants in our decision to
purchase an INOVA system," said Lothar Mergili, module manager, Thin Films, AMD Fab 30. "The
INOVA's unique three-dimensional HCM PVD source results in improved step coverage of copper
barrier and seed, which is important for better device performance. We plan to keep working with
Novellus to validate the use of HCM technology for future device generations."
An effective and fully integrated barrier/seed layer is critical to device performance when building a
copper dual damascene interconnect. Barrier/seed layers not only block copper migration into the
surrounding dielectric, but also provide an effective seed for the subsequent electrofill process. The
INOVA's patented three-dimensional HCM source delivers a highly directional ionized flux that
increases sidewall and bottom coverage and reduces overhang and asymmetry. This technology enables
void-free electrofill with copper seed thicknesses as thin as 800 angstroms, increasing throughput and
reducing the cost of consumables. In addition, the simplicity of the HCM source design, as well as
long target life, results in superior system reliability and uptime.
"The INOVA platform with HCM PVD technology not only provides the leading process extendibility
that manufacturers need for future barrier/seed applications, it also provides the industry's highest
capital productivity" said Mark G. Fissel, vice president and general manager of Novellus' Integrated
Metals Division. "INOVA's superior throughput and high system uptime combine to make this a very
attractive product in comparison to other competing ionized PVD products on the market. AMD's
selection of the INOVA system for advanced copper-based microprocessors demonstrates the
strengths of the INOVA platform and the HCM technology."
The INOVA barrier/seed system and the Sabre xT(TM) copper electrofill system make up the heart of
Novellus' Complete Copper(TM) suite of equipment for copper dual damascene deposition. The
company's copper metallization tools are in use by customers for production ramps in Europe, the
United States, and Asia.
About Novellus Systems
Novellus Systems Inc., an S&P 500 company, manufactures, markets and services advanced systems
for the deposition of thin films on semiconductor wafers. The company's products are designed for
high-volume production of advanced, leading-edge semiconductor devices at the lowest possible cost.
Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, The
Netherlands, Spain, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, Novellus is a publicly traded
company on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Additional information about the company is available on
Novellus' home page on the World Wide Web, located at www.novellus.com.
NOTE: AMD, the AMD logo, AMD Athlon and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced
Micro Devices.
SOURCE Novellus Systems, Inc.
CONTACT:Bob Climo, Marcom Director of Novellus Systems Inc.,
408-943-9700, or fax, 408-570-2635, or bob.climo@novellus.com; or Christopher
Castillo, Senior Account Director of MCA, 650-968-8900, or fax, 650-968-8990,
or ccastillo@mcapr.com, for Novellus Systems Inc.
URL:http://www.novellus.com
prnewswire.com
(C) 2000 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
KEYWORD:California
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CPR
MLM
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