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Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has added to its line of 3D chip packaging solutions with the launch of its ‘Applied Producer InVia’ dielectric deposition system. Using a unique CVD process and chemistry, the InVia system deposits the critical oxide liner film layer in high aspect ratio (HAR) through-silicon via (TSV) structures. Providing conformal coverage over the full depth of these challenging features, the InVia process enables robust electrical isolation of the TSV – which is vital for reliable device performance.  

Problem: TSVs play a key role in emerging 3D packaging schemes, electrically connecting chips that are vertically stacked to boost speed and lower power consumption. Two primary techniques, called via-first and via-middle, in which the TSVs are fabricated along with the device’s transistor and interconnect layers, offer superior design flexibility and device functionality, but have presented a significant challenge for insulating liner processes. Competing PECVD systems are unable to deposit oxide films evenly in deep, narrow vias, making this approach unsuitable for HAR applications.

Solution: The Producer InVia system delivers a CVD process that can provide highly conformal and electrically robust dielectric liners for fabricating via-first and via-middle through-silicon vias (TSVs).  It is claimed to be the only process that satisfies the thermal budget and conformality requirements for via-middle TSV. For via-first TSV, the system’s higher productivity, better defectivity, and lower cost of ownership dramatically outperform alternative furnace technology. The unique deposition process results in film breakdown voltage and leakage current that are significant improvements over the standard specifications. The InVia system is also uniquely capable of depositing liners as thin as 200nm and as thick as 1µm over a wide range of aspect ratios (6:1 to 11:1).
The system has much higher throughput than batch furnaces, with the capability to process up to 8 times more wafers per hour at less than half the cost, especially when depositing very thick liners for high-current applications.

Applications: Deposition of oxide liner film layer in high aspect ratio (HAR) through-silicon via (TSV) structures.

Platform: The Applied InVia process runs on the production-proven, high-throughput, Twin Chamber Producer GT, expanding the suite of processes available to customers on this existing platform. Platform extendibility enables customers to leverage the Producer toolset for multiple process nodes.

Availability: April 2010 onwards.