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Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has launched the ‘Reflexion GT’ system for advanced metal CMP applications.  The system’s novel dual wafer design is claimed to set new benchmarks in CMP performance and productivity, delivering superior profile control and 60% higher throughput than competing systems. The Reflexion GT also dramatically cuts consumables cost, requiring up to 30% less slurry and processing twice as many wafers per polishing pad.

Problem: Today’s copper-based logic and memory devices have more copper interconnect layers, requiring faster CMP processing and more efficient use of consumables.

Solution: Key to the Reflexion GT system’s benchmark performance is its dual mode architecture, enabling two wafers to be processed simultaneously on each platen using independently-controlled ‘Titan Contour’ polishing heads. Complementing dedicated slurry delivery and pad conditioning for each wafer, the Reflexion GT system’s advanced head and process controls, including in-platen metrology, allow for precise control of final thickness, ensuring benchmark uniformity within wafer and wafer to wafer. For post-polish cleaning, a five-module dual cleaner (with an optional sixth module) features Applied’s production-proven Desica technology with Marangoni vapor drying for fast, effective, watermark-free drying.

Applications: The Reflexion GT system is available for 4xnm copper interconnect planarization and has demonstrated extendibility to tungsten applications.

Platform: Unique dual wafer architecture is used, simultaneously processing 300mm wafers in pairs. Dedicated slurry delivery and pad conditioning for each wafer promotes matched process conditions.

Availability: December 2009 onwards.