Altatech delivers CVD system to Fraunhofer Institution for advanced research in polysilicon deposition for ICS and MEMS

FRANCE: Altatech, a subsidiary of Soitec, announced today that it has installed and qualified an AltaCVD system at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technology EMFT in Munich where it will be used to deposit poly-silicon films for CMOS and MEMS applications. This repeat order from Fraunhofer EMFT reinforces the AltaCVD system's leadership position in advanced material deposition for semiconductor applications.

The high-temperature CVD reactor system was qualified in November 2012 for the first set of applications, including thin-film deposition of doped and undoped poly-silicon. Currently, Fraunhofer EMFT is using the high-temperature CVD system to develop advanced deposition technologies for thin and thick poly-silicon layers. The AltaCVD system was selected for its ability to tightly control layer thicknesses, achieve precise doping levels, and perform highly efficiency cleaning system.

"The AltaCVD tool provides both the flexibility and the performance we need to conduct our various research projects in which we are using single-wafer deposition technology in a multi-chamber platform to develop process integration with high throughput and extremely low level of contamination," said Prof. Ignaz Eisele, head of Fraunhofer's Nano Materials and Silicon Technology Division.

"Our single wafer CVD system's ability to deposit crystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous materials with extremely low defectivity and high uniformity of dopants and film thickness control are key to enabling thin- and thick-film deposition needed for semiconductor and MEMS applications," said Jean-Luc Delcarri, GM of Soitec's Altatech Division. "Following the release of our advanced CVD systems for front-end and memory processing and the roll out of our deposition tools for TSV (through-silicon-via) isolation and conductive layers, we are now applying our proven technology in depositing poly-silicon layers for new applications."

The versatile AltaCVD system is a multi-chamber tool designed for plasma-enhanced or high temperature CVD of advanced semiconductor materials using liquid or gaseous precursors.