Motorola and AMD Select Applied Materials' Black Diamond Low k Film for Third Generation Copper Chip Manufacturing
Industry Leaders in Copper/Low k Technology to Introduce Black Diamond Process into High-Performance Logic Chips
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2001-- Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), industry leaders in copper/low k interconnect technology, have chosen Applied Materials, Inc.'s Black Diamond(TM) low k dielectric film for manufacturing high-performance 0.13 micron logic chips.
Motorola and AMD have been working jointly with Applied Materials for several years on CVD (chemical vapor deposition) low k process development using Applied Materials' Black Diamond CVD systems. Both Motorola and AMD have ordered Applied Materials' Producer® systems for depositing Black Diamond as well as Applied Materials' BLOk(TM) barrier low k dielectric.
Gregg Bartlett, Director of Motorola's Advanced Products Research and Development Laboratory, said, ``Our joint development program with AMD has been focused on bringing a low k dielectric solution beyond FSG (fluorinated silicate glass) to full manufacturing readiness for our third generation of copper interconnect technology. This will enable both Motorola and AMD to fully exploit the benefits of this technology in our products. Motorola is pleased with our success in delivering what we believe is the industry's most robust, reliable and cost-effective copper/low k interconnect solutions.''
Betsy Weitzman, Motorola's APRDL Process Engineering Manager, added, ``Our choice of CVD low k dielectric technology for the 0.13 micron technology node has a number of advantages that build on our leadership position in low k/copper manufacturing. With FSG, integrated at k less than 3.7 already in volume production, migration to CVD low k dielectric films with an integrated k less than 3.0 enables us to extend the use of our existing CVD systems and to capitalize on the cost advantages of conventional chemistries.
``The combination of two interconnect options at the 0.13 micron generation allows speed and performance to be tailored to meet our product requirements, offering up to nine levels of inlaid copper with FSG for high density, low power applications, and with CVD low k for high performance microprocessors,'' continued Weitzman. ``The nominal 20 percent reduction in integrated k-value achieved with the simple replacement of FSG with Black Diamond corresponds directly to a proportional decrease in interconnect delay. When used in conjunction with Applied Materials' BLOk barrier film, this performance is further enhanced.''
Craig Sander, Vice President of Technology Development for AMD, said, ``The results of this low k joint development program with Motorola and Applied Materials, combined with our experience with high volume production of microprocessors using copper interconnect technology, will make it possible for AMD to continue to pursue the aggressive performance goals for our microprocessors. The low interconnect capacitance enabled by the use of Black Diamond material is an important part of our 0.13 micron technology implementation.''
``The powerful combination of Motorola's and AMD's experience and process expertise has been of tremendous value in our development of this low k film for real-world, production-type environments,'' noted Dr. Farhad Moghadam, Vice President and General Manager of Applied Materials' Dielectric Systems and Modules Product Business Group. ``Together we've proven the value of Black Diamond's evolutionary approach to low k integration in copper devices, and demonstrated its ability to operate with high productivity and low cost of ownership.''
Motorola's work with Applied Materials on low k materials complements Motorola's overall copper interconnect development programs. In December 2000, Applied Materials announced Motorola's successful demonstration of its copper equipment set for 300mm wafers, including the Endura® Electra Cu(TM) Barrier/Seed 300 system, Electra Cu(TM) iECP 300 (Integrated ElectroChemical Plating) system, and Reflexion(TM) CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) system.
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $4.6 billion in 2000.(NYSE:AMD - news).
As the world's No. 1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector offers multiple Digital DNA(TM) technologies which enable its customers to create ``smart'' products and new business opportunities in the networking and computing, wireless communications, transportation, and home networking markets. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $7.9 billion (USD) in 2000.
Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT - news) is a leader of the Information Age and the world's largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry. The company's website can be found at www.appliedmaterials.com.
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