Applied Materials,
Inc., the global leader in Nanomanufacturing Technology™ solutions
with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service and software products
for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, solar photovoltaic
cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass, today raised CMP* technology
to a new level while lowering system cost of ownership (CoO) with the launch
of its Applied Reflexion® GT system for advanced metal CMP applications.
The system's novel, dual-wafer design sets 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.
Key to the Reflexion GT system is its dual mode architecture, enabling two wafers to be processed simultaneously on each platen using independently-controlled Titan Contour polishing heads. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Today's copper-based logic and memory devices have more copper
interconnect layers, requiring faster CMP processing and more efficient use
of consumables,” said Lakshmanan Karuppiah, general manager of Applied's
CMP business unit. “Like Applied's highly-successful Producer®
GT™ CVD* platform, the Reflexion GT system is another dream machine for
customers – combining innovations in CMP technology with dual-wafer processing
to achieve best-of-breed performance. In addition to its high speed throughput,
this new architecture allows customers to realize substantial savings in the
cost of consumables, which typically comprises 70% of the total cost per wafer.”
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. After polishing
is complete, a parallel-path, clean module featuring Applied's proven
Marangoni™ vapor drying delivers highly-effective, water mark-free wafer
cleaning. The system's proprietary, real-time profile and endpoint control
technologies provide industry-leading, wafer-to-wafer uniformity.
The Reflexion GT system is available now for copper interconnect planarization
and has demonstrated extendibility to tungsten applications. This innovative
system adds to Applied's decade of leadership in CMP technology, with more than
2,700 systems at customer sites worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.appliedmaterials.com/products/reflexion_gt_cmp_4.html.
*CMP = chemical mechanical planarization; CVD = chemical vapor deposition