IBM (NYSE: IBM), Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) and the College
of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany (UAlbany
NanoCollege) today announced an agreement to jointly develop process modeling
technology for manufacturing 22 nanometer (nm) logic and memory chips. The project
will combine IBM's semiconductor technology research and development leadership
and computer modeling expertise with Applied's semiconductor processing knowledge
to develop predictive models that can help minimize process variation, reduce
development cost, and improve time to market for 22nm semiconductors.
FinFET transistors - vertical transistors with fin-shaped silicon channels
- will be used to validate the technology. FinFETs are considered a potential
successor to conventional planar transistors for 22nm chips.
Today's most advanced semiconductors have circuitry at 45 nanometers and larger.
Producing circuits at 22nm becomes more challenging since current lithography
methods - the process for creating circuit patterns on silicon wafers - present
physical limitations for critical chip layers. To help overcome these limitations,
IBM has led an initiative known as Computational Scaling. Computational-based
processes developed by IBM use advanced mathematical techniques, software tools
and high-performance computing systems to enable the production of complex,
powerful and energy-efficient semiconductors at 22 nanometers and beyond.
"IBM pioneered the use of high-performance computing and predictive modeling
to overcome the physical limitations of optical lithography," said Gary
Patton, vice president, IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center. "To
meet the challenges of 22nm, we need to model the entire physical structure
of the transistor, and this is now possible with the advent of ultra-powerful,
petascale computer processing. By combining Applied's thin film deposition and
etch processing expertise and CNSE's fundamental science know-how with IBM's
capabilities, we can extend our modeling beyond lithography to help deliver
a more complete and validated manufacturing process."
IBM brings to the collaboration more than 50 years of semiconductor technology
experience and a proven track record of technology development and manufacturing
that can help accelerate development of 22nm technology and beyond. End-to-end
integration - from design to manufacturing to characterization and test - gives
IBM the ability to leverage process insights for outstanding modeling and excellent
results in hardware.
Developing a chip manufacturing process for a new technology node involves
complex interactions among multiple process variables, fabrication disciplines,
and circuit requirements. With circuit features just a few hundred atoms across,
the interactions of each process variable must be taken into account. For advanced
technology nodes, this can lead to costly production experiments that consume
many thousands of semiconductor wafers. The goal is to develop computational
models to perform most of these experiments in a "virtual" laboratory,
greatly reducing the need for actual wafer processing.
"The next big scaling challenge is to give these ultra-small transistors
consistent geometry and electrical properties which define the speed, reliability
and power consumption of a device," said Hans Stork, Vice President and
Chief Technology Officer of Applied's Silicon Systems Group.. "The key
to reducing this variability is to integrate and optimize every fabrication
step to precisely construct and repeat the critical transistor geometry. By
using Applied's process knowledge to validate and refine IBM's predictive modeling,
we plan to bring this new technology to market in a shorter time, with less
risk and at a lower development cost than traditional physical methods."
Applied has production-proven processing systems and a wealth of technology
expertise covering the additional steps that are to be included in the FinFET
model. Applied's award-winning Producer® APFTM and Producer PECVD systems
will deposit the Advanced Patterning Film (APF), oxide and nitride hard mask
layers with tunable thickness, density, reflectivity and stress, while the Applied
Centura® EnablerTM and AdvantEdgeTM etch systems offer closed-loop CD trim,
and optimum etch rate and selectivity for excellent global profile control and
CD uniformity.
"The UAlbany NanoCollege looks forward to building on our relationship
with IBM and Applied Materials for the development of leading-edge process modeling
methods that are critical for the development and manufacturing of 22nm chips,"
said Richard Brilla, Vice President for Strategy, Alliances and Consortia at
CNSE. "This collaboration will extend current research at CNSE's Albany
NanoTech to validate fundamental process modeling work for future technology
nodes, accelerating the integration of advanced processing and innovative nanoelectronics
research and development that is necessary for scaling amid the growing complexity
of next-generation transistors."
The research will be carried out primarily at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex
in Albany, NY, where Applied has a full suite of leading-edge processing tools
and a permanent staff of engineers and scientists. Additional modeling and process
characterization will be performed at IBM's facilities in East Fishkill and
Yorktown, NY, Applied's Maydan Technology Center in Sunnyvale, CA and the Computational
Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI).