Applied Materials Breakthrough in Electron Beam Imaging Technology Accelerates Development of the World’s Most Advanced Computer Chips
December 14 2022 - 7:30AM
Applied Materials, Inc. today announced the commercial availability
of “cold field emission” (CFE) technology, a breakthough in eBeam
imaging that enables customers to better detect and image
nanometer-scale, buried defects to speed the development and
production of next-generation Gate-All-Around (GAA) logic chips as
well as higher-density DRAM and 3D NAND memories.
Chipmakers use eBeam technology to identify and characterize
defects that are too small to be seen with optical systems. Finding
surface and buried defects is becoming increasingly challenging as
chipmakers push the limits of 2D logic and DRAM scaling using EUV
lithography and transition to complex 3D architectures like GAA
logic transistors and 3D NAND memories. A breakthrough in eBeam
imaging resolution and speed would enable chipmakers to accelerate
chip development and make greater use of eBeam technology in
high-volume manufacturing.
Cold Field Emission: The Next Generation of eBeam
Technology
Conventional “thermal field emission” (TFE) eBeam systems
operate at more than 1,500°C. Physicists have been working for
decades to commercialize CFE eBeam technology because the lower
temperature results in a narrower beam with more electrons, thereby
enabling sub-nanometer image resolution and a 10X increase in
imaging speed. Until now, CFE technology has not been stable enough
for commercial applications because impurities inside the system
accumulate on the eBeam emitter and degrade the flow of electrons;
in TFE systems, these impurities are automatically repelled.
Applied has made two breakthroughs that bring CFE eBeam systems
into high-volume manufacturing:
- Extreme ultra-high vacuum eBeam columns: Applied has developed
unique eBeam columns that house the eBeam emitter and other
critical components. The new CFE columns combine an extreme
ultra-high vacuum operating environment along with specially
developed chamber materials that greatly reduce the presence of
contaminants. Special pumps help achieve a vacuum of well below
1x10-11 millibar, which is two to three orders of magnitude better
than for TFE systems and close to the vacuum found in outer
space.
- Novel self-cleaning mode: Even under extreme ultra-high vacuum,
tiny amounts of residual gas can form in the eBeam column. If a
single atom adheres to the eBeam source tip, it can partially block
the emission of electrons, resulting in unstable operation. Applied
has developed a cyclical self-cleaning process that continuously
removes contaminants from the CFE source, thereby enabling stable
and repeatable performance.
“The commercialization of CFE is the biggest advance in eBeam
imaging technology in decades,” said Keith Wells, Group Vice
President of Imaging and Process Control at Applied Materials.
“With the industry’s highest resolution and electron density,
Applied’s new CFE technology allows chipmakers to quickly detect
and image defects they’ve never been able to see before.”
Introducing SEMVision®
G10 and PrimeVision®
10
Applied today introduced its first two eBeam systems based on
CFE technology.
SEMVision G10 Defect Review System: Applied’s SEMVision product
family is the most advanced and widely used eBeam review system in
the world, enabling customers to image the smallest defects to
understand the issues impacting chip process development and
high-volume manufacturing. The new SEMVision G10 system uses CFE
technology to achieve sub-nanometer image resolution and up to 3X
faster imaging than the company’s previous best product. Applied’s
SEMVision G10 system has been chosen by all GAA customers as the
process development tool of record and has already generated more
than $400 million in revenue. SEMVision G10 systems have also been
deployed by leading memory customers for developing emerging DRAM
and NAND process nodes and ensuring high-volume production of
existing memory nodes.
PrimeVision 10 Defect Inspection System: The PrimeVision 10
system is a new addition to Applied’s eBeam product portfolio. The
system features nanometer-scale resolution for detecting tiny
defects on the surface of wafers, as well as 3D detection
technology that finds yield-critical defects buried in 3D GAA
structures and high-aspect-ratio memory devices. With its high
eBeam density, the PrimeVision 10 system can generate
high-resolution images up to 10X faster than TFE-based eBeam
inspection systems.
Applied Materials has become the process control industry’s
number-one supplier of eBeam systems, with calendar 2021 revenue of
more than $1 billion and eBeam market segment share of over 50
percent*.
Additional information about Applied’s CFE technology and new
systems will be discussed at the company’s “eBeam Technology and
Product Launch” event being held later today.
About Applied MaterialsApplied Materials, Inc.
(Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions
used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in
the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels
and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform
possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations
make possible a better future. Learn more at
www.appliedmaterials.com.
*Source: TechInsights, April 2022
Contact:Ricky Gradwohl (editorial/media)
408.235.4676Michael Sullivan (financial community) 408.986.7977
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3497496-c198-4454-a546-056b4d7c72fd. This
photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via
AP PhotoExpress.
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