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Product Briefing Outline: Novellus Systems has introduced the next generation ‘SABRE Extreme' Electrofill system, which is designed to tackle the complex transition to the 32nm technology node. The system has enhanced chemistry, process refinements and new hardware that are being used in development for 45nm by a leading U.S. logic customer as well as a leading U.S. DRAM manufacturer, according to the company.

Problem: Electrochemical deposition is used to build the copper primary conduction wires in advanced integrated circuits via a wafer being immersed in a copper electrolytic solution in order to fill a structure that has been etched into the wafer's insulating layer. The resulting copper conductive line "grows" upon the copper seed layer previously created by the PVD deposition step. However, as features continue to scaled and deep aspect ratio trenches created, correct full filling of trenches and via's becomes more challenging.

Solution: An Extreme-generation plating cell incorporates the latest membrane technology to improve on-wafer performance and reduce the cost of consumables by 50%. This latest plating cell incorporates features that have been developed and proven on earlier-generation designs, and enables new recipe- driven edge profie control for optimum chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) compatibility. A sealed contact design with 1mm physical edge exclusion that increases the usable area on a wafer by more than 1%, resulting in additional yielding die per wafer is used, according to the company. A fast edge bevel removal (EBR) process with recipe-driven edge Exclusion is also included. The faster process eliminates the EBR step from the critical path for an increase in throughput. Novellus' foundry customers in particular will benefit from the flexibility provided by the recipe-driven edge exclusion.

Applications: 45nm processes onwards.

Platform: SABRE Extreme features a revised plating cell that incorporates the latest membrane technology to improve on-wafer performance and reduce cost-of-consumables. The new system is designed to operate with Viaform Extreme electrofill chemistry, for advanced filling of narrow, high aspect ratios found at 45 and 32 nm nodes. Viaform Extreme has been developed through an exclusive arrangement with ATMI/Enthone to create copper films of high reliability, and is only available to SABRE customers. The SABRE platform is the process tool of record for nine of the top 10 copper IC producers, according to the company. The installed base of more than 250 systems worldwide processes more than 55 million wafer passes annually

Availability: July 2006 onwards.