Applied Materials has recently added to the applications of its Applied Endura Avenir RF PVD platform to incorporate deposition of nickel-platinum (NiPt) alloys, to increase transistor contacts scaling to the 22nm technology node.
AM's Endura Avenir RF PVD platform
NiPt films enhance performance but it leaves a residue at the bottom of the high aspect ratio (HAR). The Avenir delivers consistent contact tolerance and maximum output. It delivers more than 50% bottom coverage in deep, HAR contact holes in a cost- efficient manner.
Prabu Raja, vice president and general manager of the Metal Deposition Products division, the technology offers chipmakers a safe way to develop tough, low-resistance transistor contacts for rapid construction. It will benefit contact applications in various logic and foundry scenarios.
It has been embedded into the Endura, a PVD technology with increased radio frequency that was introduced in 2010, to combine metal gate transistor technology with high-performance logic solutions. This feature allows developers to deposit consistent NiPt sheets at the lower end of slim, deep contact holes with a diameter of less than 30nm. This feature is ideal for low contact tolerance and maximum transistor performance.
Source: http://www.appliedmaterials.com