The copper interconnect explosion in 2009-10

Dr. Robert N. Castellano, The Information Network

USA: In late 2006. Micron Technology became the first DRAM vendor to produce commodity DRAM with copper, rather than traditional aluminum, interconnect. Elpida followed a year later.

The adoption of copper in memory devices is currently under way, and all memory suppliers, led by Samsung, spent huge sums of money upgrading as many of their lines as they could to copper, and this change had an dramatic impact on purchases of copper deposition equipment and materials in 2009. How long this ramp in these sectors until purchases moderate to normal levels is an issue we discuss on our report: 300mm/Copper/Low-K Convergence:Timing, Trends, Issues, Market Analysis.

The impact of this transition on processing equipment was probably most obvious in the high-density plasma CVD sector (HDPCVD), which is used for depositing undoped (USG) and doped (PSG and FSG) films. Revenues dropped 72 percent in 2009, which we discuss in our report -- Thin Film Deposition: Trends, Key Issues, Market Analysis. A drop in Metal Etch tool revenues was similarly registered, as we detail in our Plasma Etching: Market Analysis and Strategic Issues report.

The integration of copper into memory devices presents a different set of challenges than the long-established logic processes. DRAM and Flash, which comprise the majority of the memory applications, exhibit high aspect ratios, small CD sizes, and critical sensitivity to line resistance.

The growth of the PVD market was strong for the deposition of the copper barrier metal, which is typically a bi-layer of Ta/TaN, or TiN. However, the transition to memory presents challenges. As feature size continues to shrink, a thinner barrier metal is required to maximize copper volume in the damascene structure and maintain effective resistivity. Ultra-thin barrier metals must achieve optimum step coverage, density, and morphology in high aspect ratio trenches and vias.

The transition to more copper greatly impacted the CMP slurry and pad business, which we discuss in our report CMP Technology: Competition, Products, Markets. Just how long the length of this huge ramp in copper transitioning until demand stabilizes and these consumables track the CMP and semiconductor equipment markets is detailed on the report.

It’s interesting how a change in processing parameters can impact such a diverse number of sectors in such a large way. The Information Network, by providing such a diverse range of reports on semiconductor processing, is ideally positioned to recognize these complex interactions. Combined with our proprietary Leading Indicators, we are uniquely qualified to meet your market research needs.