ASM achieves two wins for plasma enhanced ALD memory apps

ALMERE, THE NETHERLANDS: ASM International N.V. has announced two wins for its plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technology.

First, ASM received multiple system orders for its plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) reactor from a leading memory customer in Asia. Second, it also qualified a new PEALD oxide application with a different memory manufacturer for the 2X nm node.

"Our innovative PEALD technology is seeing strong market validation with high volume business from multiple top tier memory customers," said Tominori Yoshida, general manager of ASM's Plasma Products business unit. "Alongside our growth in volume manufacturing, we continue to demonstrate technology leadership with our development efforts and expanding IP portfolio. Our increasing range of production-ready PEALD applications position us to support memory manufacturers now and as they move towards the challenging 1X nm node."

The PEALD systems were ordered by a leading memory customer for high volume manufacturing and will be installed in multiple facilities in Asia. The reactors will be used to deposit dielectrics for advanced lithography double patterning applications at the 3X nm technology node and below. This order represents the second major manufacturer to adopt ASM's PEALD system for use in double patterning in high volume manufacturing.

Further highlighting ASM's leadership in PEALD for memory devices, the company has also qualified a new oxide application for an advanced PEALD SiO layer that targets manufacturing at the 2X nm node and below. The new application is expected to enter volume production later this year with a different Asia-based manufacturer.

ASM's PEALD reactors are optimized to deposit dielectrics including SiO, SiN and SiCN. A major advantage of ASM's PEALD process is its ability to deliver conformal thin films at low temperatures, which is especially beneficial for double patterning lithography technologies where thin dielectrics are deposited over temperature sensitive photoresists for critical dimension control and pitch reduction.

Each of the systems ordered includes multiple PEALD reactors implemented on ASM's XP platform. The XP is a production-proven standard platform that can be configured with plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), thermal ALD or PEALD reactors.