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To: Ram Seetharaman who wrote (4813)	4/12/1999 2:53:00 PM
From: DJBEINO	Respond to of 9582

UMC reports progress in copper R&D, plans 0.18-micron process this year A service of Semiconductor Business News, CMP Media Inc. Story posted 9 a.m. EST/6 a.m., PST, 4/12/99 HSINCHU, Taiwan -- UMC Group here today said its development of copper interconnect processes is moving forward at a rapid pace, and it expects to make the 0.18-micron Gold Logic L180 technology available to silicon foundry customers later this year. UMC is collaborating with the copper-processing equipment alliance formed by Novellus Systems Inc. last June (see story from June 1, 1998, issue of SBN). UMC is using Novellus' Sabre copper electroplating system and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) tools from SpeedFam-IPEC Inc., which is teamed with Novellus and Lam Research Corp. to develop integrated dual-damascene processes for copper interconnect. Other tools being used by UMC include KLA-Tencor Corp.'s metrology and inspection systems for defect reduction and parametric control, and interconnect design software from Synopsys Inc. UMC is also working with slurries being provided by Cabot Corp.'s Microelectronics Materials Division in the development of its CMP processes for copper planarization. "We have already demonstrated dual-damascene process flows for copper interconnect in multi-level structures, and demonstrated key reliability performance data, including a 30-times improvement in electromigration reliability over aluminum metalization, junction stability, and comparable yields for copper relative to aluminum," said Fu Tai Liou, senior vice president in charge of technology development at UMC. "Copper will also offer significant cost advantages because the process integration steps are simpler," he predicted. UMC is racing its archrival, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), which is also developing copper technology for foundry customers. TSMC also says it will make its initial copper interconnect processes available this year.