Applied Materials, Inc. introduced materials engineering innovations designed to increase the performance-per-watt of computer systems by enabling copper wiring to scale to the 2nm logic node and beyond. Applied Materials introduced an enhanced version of Black Diamond, the latest in the company's Producer?? Black Diamond??

PECVD?? family. This new material reduces the minimum k-value to enable scaling to 2nm and below, while offering increased mechanical strength which is becoming critical as chipmakers and systems companies take 3D logic and memory stacking to new heights.

The latest Black Diamond technology is being adopted by all leading logic and DRAM chipmakers. To scale chip wiring, chipmakers etch each layer of low-k film to create trenches, then deposit a barrier layer that prevents copper from migrating into the chip and creating yield issues. As chipmakers further scale the wiring, the barrier and liner take up a larger percentage of the volume intended for wiring, and it becomes physically impossible to create low-resistance, void-free copper wiring in the remaining space.

Applied Materials publicly introduced its latest IMS?? (Integrated Materials Solution??) which combines six different technologies in one high-vacuum system, including an industry-first combination of materials that enables chipmakers to scale copper wiring to the 2nm node and beyond. The solution is a binary metal combination of ruthenium and cobalt (RuCo), which simultaneously reduces the thickness of the liner by 33% to 2nm, produces better surface properties for void-free copper reflow, and reduces electrical line resistance by up to 25% to improve chip performance and power consumption.

Looking ahead, the introduction of backside power delivery is expected to increase Applied's wiring opportunity by another $1 billion per 100K WSPM, to approximately $7 billion. The new chip wiring products, along with other materials engineering innovations for making future AI chips, will be discussed at Applied's SEMICON West 2024 Technology Breakfast. The presentation and other materials from the event will be available on the Applied Materials website at: on July 9, 2024 at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET /6:00 a.m. PT.

PECVD = Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition;CVD = Chemical Vapor Deposition.