New record in trench depths achieved with Applied’s latest etch system
Applied Materials, has announced a significant leap forward in deep trench etch nanomanufacturing technology with its new Applied Centura Mariana Trench Etch system. Applied claims, the Mariana is the first system that can etch 80:1 aspect ratio trenches--a critical capability that will allow customers to scale DRAM capacitors beyond 70nm.
Dual-frequency tuning capabilities tightly control the etch profile and CD (critical dimension) with 2% etch depth non-uniformity, while the system's specialised plasma chemistry achieves unprecedented mask selectivity.
"Working with our customer, we've developed this deep trench technology with the capability of etching structures with 30% higher aspect ratios than currently available systems," said Tom St. Dennis, senior vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Etch, Cleans, Front End and Implant Groups. "This co-development program allowed us to develop the Mariana system to achieve its advanced technical capability while optimising its productivity."
"Mariana systems have already been purchased by customers for 70nmDRAM production," added St.Dennis. "Since the key to trench capacitor scaling is increasing the aspect ratio, customers appreciate that the Mariana system has the extendibility to transition through multiple DRAM generations."
