Friday, October 30, 2020
ATLANT 3D Nanosystems to deliver ALD for the MESOMORPH Project funded by the EU
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Researchers develop new atomic layer deposition process using ultrasonic precursor evaporation
ASM International report strong quarterly results driven by continued logic/foundry demand
- New orders at €303 million were 2% above the level of last quarter and 4% above the level of last year.
- Revenue for the third quarter 2020 was €315 million and decreased 8% compared to the previous quarter, half of that decrease is caused by exchange rate translation differences.
- Gross profit margin was 49.9% in Q3 2020 compared to 48.3% in the previous quarter, driven by an exceptionally strong mix. Operating result was €84 million compared to €88 million in the previous quarter, mainly due to lower sales, partly compensated by a higher margin percentage and lower costs.
- Normalized net earnings for the third quarter 2020 were lower at €61 million compared to €77 million in Q2 2020. Main reasons for the decline are the depreciation of the US dollar causing a translation result of €14 million negative as compared to the €6 million negative in Q2 and the €4 million lower result from investments.
Outlook
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Virtual tour of Helsinki ALD Lab - The coolest ALD Lab in the world!
TechInsights Webinar: ALD/ALE Process in Commercially Available Memory Devices
Stanford and Samsung Display use solar panel tech to create new ultrahigh-res OLED display
Friday, October 16, 2020
ALD Stories by Beneq - Meet Professor Riikka Puurunen of Aalto University, Finland
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Swedish NordAmps has developed InGaAs nanowire transistors with GAA high-k/metal gate
NordAmps in Lund,
Sweden, has developed InGaAs nanowire transistors with GAA high-k /metal gate (HKMG) capable of the high frequencies required for 5G and 6G data
transfer and logic data processing, with significantly lower energy
consumption.
The structures are fully compatible with a standard
300 mm standard Si CMOS flow and require less mask steps compared with
conventional technology.
NordAmps represents the convergence of research by global leaders in nanotechnology with leading edge application needs.
Source: NordAmps LINK
Forge Nano incorporatesthe innovative US ALD company Sundew Technology
Forge Nano incorporates Sundew Technology. Improving speed, cost, and efficiency of nano coatings on wafers and objects.
The new line of industry leading tools offers high speed, cost effective, nano coatings for objects and wafers. Building upon success in the energy storage market, this additional product line is used to develop cutting edge technology in a number of applications, such as; RF Devices (MMICs), Displays, Lighting, Memory, Power Electronics, Medical Devices, Environmental Protection Barriers (nanolaminates) and many more.
“Sundew developed and commercialized cost-effective, high efficiency ALD tools that combine breakthrough innovations to deliver substantial productivity improvements and superior performance. These ALD tools are up to 100x faster, up to 90% more efficient and produce >40x less waste than traditional ALD tools. They enable zero waste processes, faster deposition, thicker films, enhanced ability to deposit more difficult films, and substantially reduced cost and frequency of maintenance.” Ofer Sneh- President Sundew Technologies
“In order to solve big problems, industries are turning to nano solutions. We are excited to bring Sundew’s amazing technology into our portfolio. These additions broaden our ALD equipment capabilities which continue to lead the world in coating more surface area, faster, and more efficient than anyone on the globe. By leveraging our expertise in PALD and Sundew’s speed and efficiency breakthroughs we will continue to make nano coatings easier and cheaper than ever. The technologies of the future will be unlocked at the atomic level.” Dr. Paul Lichty– CEO Forge Nano.
The new systems; HELIOS, THEIA and APOLLO add to Forge Nano’s existing line of tools for powders, particles, and objects. These innovative solutions bring nano coatings for objects and wafers into an entirely new era of speed and efficiency.
The complete line of surface engineering solutions can be found at www.forgenano.com/products
Saturday, October 10, 2020
SPM is looking for Sales Engineers in Austria, Germany, and Italy
Send us your CV and motivational letter to sales@spm.li
- Maintaining and expanding business within the already established sales channels across Europe
- Care for the preservation of existing business ties
- Identify new markets, discover and explore further opportunities
- Build the businesses market position and maximize business growth
- Screening for innovations in the semiconductor industry
Qualifications & Experience:
- Background in the semiconductor fab
- Technical education (physics, chemistry, electrical engineering)
- Sales background and experiences are advantages
- Experience in identifying new business opportunities
- Self-motivated, enthusiasm and people skills
- The joy of working with people in the field
- High level of presentation skills English language required, German for Austria or Germany and Italian for Italy
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Imec demonstrates CNT pellicle utilization on EUV scanner
LEUVEN (Belgium, LINK) October 6, 2020 — Imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, announced today promising results in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle protection. Multiple CNT-based pellicles were mounted on reticles and exposed in the NXE:3300 EUV scanner at imec, demonstrating the successful fabrication and scanner handling of full-field CNT-based pellicles. The tested pellicles had a single-pass EUV transmission up to 97%. The impact on imaging was found to be low and correctable based on critical dimension (CD), dose, and transmission measurements.
A pellicle is a membrane used to protect the photomask from contamination during high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. It is mounted a few millimeters above the surface of the photomask so that if particles land on the pellicle, they will be too far out of focus to print. Developing such an EUV pellicle is very challenging, since 13.5nm light is absorbed by most materials. In addition, stringent thermal, chemical, and mechanical requirements must be achieved. Such highly transparent pellicle is critical to enable high yield and throughput in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Imec has leveraged partners in the semiconductor industry, materials companies and fundamental research to develop an innovative EUV pellicle design with potential to survive scanner powers beyond 600 Watts
“Imec has leveraged partners in the semiconductor industry, materials companies and fundamental research to develop an innovative EUV pellicle design with potential to survive scanner powers beyond 600 Watts,” said Emily Gallagher, principal member of technical staff at imec. “We have seen tremendous progress in carbon nanotube membrane development in the past year and, based on strong collaborations with our partners, are confident it will result in a high-performance pellicle solution in the near future.”
CNTs are one-atom-thick carbon sheets rolled into tubes. The CNTs can be single-, double- or multi-walled and can vary in diameter and in length. These engineered CNTs can be arranged in different configurations to form membranes of different densities. Since 2015, imec has been working with selected CNT suppliers (Canatu Oy and Lintec of America, Inc., Nano-Science & Technology Center) to develop membranes that meet the EUV pellicle targets for properties like transmittance, thermal durability, permeability, and strength and to enable the imaging results reported today. Future work will focus on achieving acceptable lifetimes for high volume manufacturing of these pellicles in scanners.
Heads up ALD-people! On Thursday the ALD Symposium at PRiME2020 start and it is FOR FREE!
This week, the Virtual PRiME 2020 Joint International Meeting will be held under the auspices of
The Electrochemical Society (ECS), The Electrochemical Society of Japan (ECSJ), and The Korean Electrochemical Society (KECS).
Over 75% of the 3,300+ original abstracts, meant for presentation in Honolulu (Hawaii) this week, are available as digital presentations.
On the online program you can find all info on the presentation files (video, slides, and/or posters).
These can be viewed on-demand in open-access mode, from Oct. 4 – Nov. 9, 2020.
Attendance and participation in PRiME 2020 is FREE and OPEN TO ALL! Only your pre-registration is required.
This includes Symposium G02 that I co-organized: G02 - Atomic Layer Deposition Applications 16.
See the information below for some more general info on our ALD symposium, also on the live sessions on Oct. 7 and 8, Hawaii HST time (!))
Opening remarks presentation. file:///C:/Users/jonas/AppData/Local/Temp/Opening_Welcome-Symp.%20G02_Fred%20Roozeboom_Oct20.pdf
We were sponsored by
Picosun’s cluster ALD solutions enable next generation power electronics
“Power electronics is an important, fast growing market for Picosun. ALD has potential to solve various challenges manufacturers are facing in this field, and our solutions have enabled our customers to create significant added value in terms of device quality and throughput. At Picosun, we have developed several turn-key production ALD solutions specifically for 4-8 inch wafer markets such as power devices. Especially our cluster ALD systems, such as the PICOSUN® Morpher which we launched last year, have been extremely well received by our customers,” says Juhana Kostamo, Head of Customer Solutions/Deputy CEO of Picosun.
Interface trap density can be reduced by combining pre-cleaning methods with high permittivity, large bandgap insulators. High quality, defect-free high-k dielectric layers such as Al2O3, AlN or ZrO2 etc. are key in reducing power devices’ gate leakage current and to improve electron mobility and threshold voltage stability. A good example here are GaN-based HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors), which are important in various large scale practical applications, and which require efficient gate insulation and surface passivation to achieve optimal functionality.
ALD stands as a superior deposition method here compared to other thin film coating technologies such as PECVD, as ALD produces the most conformal, uniform, and defect-free films with accurate, digitally repeatable thickness control and sharp interfaces. With the right selection of ALD deposition equipment, even multilayer processing is possible i.e. various functional material layers and/or stacked films/nanolaminates can be manufactured in one process run.
PICOSUN® Morpher is a disruptive ALD production platform designed for up to 8 inch wafer industries such as power electronics, MEMS, sensors, LEDs, lasers, optics, and 5G components. Morpher’s operational agility makes the system adaptable to various and changing manufacturing needs, on all business verticals from corporate internal R&D to production and foundry manufacturing, where both the end products and/or customers’ requirements may change rapidly. Morpher can handle several substrate materials, batch and substrate sizes, and ALD materials with leading process quality. Multilayer deposition is possible, and cluster design allows integration of also other processing units such as pre-clean, RIE etc. for fully automated, high throughput continuous vacuum operation.
“In its versatility and transformability, Morpher is the epitome of our principle ‘Agile ALD’. Innovation, constant development and improvement of our ALD solutions to enable our customers’ success is our driving force at Picosun. This applies also to Morpher platform and we have some truly exciting additions to this product family coming in the near future,” summarizes Kostamo.
Friday, October 2, 2020
TANAKA Develops "TRuST" Precursor for CVD/ALD Processes; Using Liquid Ruthenium Precursor to Achieve World's Highest Vapor Pressures
TOKYO, Sep 30, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - TANAKA Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Koichiro Tanaka) announced today that TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Koichiro Tanaka), which operates the TANAKA Precious Metals manufacturing business, has developed a new liquid ruthenium precursor named "TRuST" for CVD[1] and ALD[2] processes. The vapor pressure of "TRuST" is more than 100 times higher as compared to that to previous liquid ruthenium (element symbol Ru) precursors[3], which is currently the world's highest vapor pressure value at room temperature as per TANAKA's internal evaluation.
During this precursor development, TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo focused on
material design and synthesis research, while Professor Soo-Hyun Kim,
Ph.D., School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of
Engineering at Yeungnam University in South Korea, researched to
optimize the film formation characteristics.
Technologies
developed through this collaboration will help increase performance and
reduce energy consumption for the semiconductor devices used in
smartphones, computers, and the data centers where demand is to grow
well into the future.
Precursors are metal-organic compounds used
in chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and
other processes to form thin metal films or metal wiring on substrates.
CVD and ALD processes enable the formation of films with superior step
coverage on various types of base substrate. These are useful methods
for forming films as semiconductors become increasingly miniaturized,
with increased structural complexity, and narrower wires with every new
generation.
TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo has developed a range of
precious metal precursors over the years, including ruthenium
precursors. This time, computer simulation and other techniques were
used to achieve miniaturization and optimization of the molecular
structure. This resulted in the successful development of a precious
metal compound in a liquid form, with high vapor pressure, and thermal
stability suited for film formation, all of which are important
characteristics for precursors. As a result, this compound has the
world's highest vapor pressure over 100 times higher than that of
previous liquid ruthenium precursors. The higher the vapor pressure of
precursors and the smaller their molecular structure, the higher the
possible concentration of precursor in the film formation chamber, and
the greater the adsorption density of precursor molecules on the
substrate surface. Compared to previous precursors, this achieves
excellent step coverage and improved film formation speed.
According
to research carried out at Yeungnam University, ALD film formation at
approximately 1.7 angstrom (A) per cycle is possible, which is the
world's fastest of its type using liquid ruthenium precursor. Also,
specific resistivity after film formation is approximately 13
microhm-cm, which is close to the value of bulk ruthenium metal (7.6
microhm-cm).
When bulk ruthenium is used for vapor deposition,
with a temperature as high as 3000 degrees C. However, if it is
converted into an organometallic compound of ruthenium precursor, it can
be vaporized at low temperatures (between room temperature to 200
degrees C) under vacuum. As a result, the formation of high-quality
ruthenium film with excellent step coverage at high productivity is
expected. This has been an issue in the past because it is technically
difficult to achieve all these characteristics at the same time. With
the development of "TRuST" however, it is now possible.
Samples of Shipments of "TRuST" should begin shipping samples are planned to start in October 2020.
Background and TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo's development of precursor for CVD/ALD processes
In
the past, the most common wiring materials used for semiconductors were
copper, tungsten and cobalt. However, as semiconductors have evolved,
there are increasing expectations for the precious metal ruthenium to
promote further miniaturization of semiconductors because of its lower
resistance and higher durability. With its superior characteristics,
ruthenium is also being considered for use in transistor gate electrodes
and DRAM capacitor electrodes.
The progress of technologies such
as IoT, AI, and 5G over recent years has led to rapidly increasing
volumes of digital data used in clouds, smartphones, and computers.
Therefore, the need for even greater miniaturization of semiconductors
is increasing to enable the creation of devices with higher performance
and lower energy consumption. As a specialized manufacturer of precious
metals, TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo will continue contributing to this
evolution of semiconductors through the development of high-quality
semiconductor materials.
With the support of Professor Soo-Hyun
Kim, from the College of Engineering at Yeungnam University, a
researcher from TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo will give a presentation of this
technology at the "International Interconnect Technology Conference
(IITC) 2020", which will be held online from October 5-8, 2020. The
title of the presentation is High-growth-rate atomic layer deposition of
high-quality Ru Using a Novel Ru metalorganic precursor.
[1]
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD): CVD is a chemical film formation
method. It is a method of forming thin metal films on the surfaces of
base materials or substrates through a chemical reaction induced and
accelerated by directing energy, in forms such as heat, plasma and
light, at gaseous vapor material fed into a reaction chamber at
pressures between atmospheric pressures to medium vacuum pressures
(100-10-1 Pa).
[2] Atomic layer deposition (ALD): Both CVD and ALD
are film formation methods that use chemical reactions inside reaction
chambers to deposit material onto substrates through the vapor phase.
The main difference between the two methods is that while CVD
continually forms atomic and molecular layers, ALD forms the layers
intermittently one layer at a time.
[3] Precursors: Precursors are compounds used as the raw material for forming thin metal films and metal wiring on substrates.
Hello ALD! Here is a heads up for the 21-22 October Critical Materials Conference CMC2020 in Virtual Hillsboro, OR USA
During the conference and at "The not so usual Round Table Discussions," I will be chairing an ALD/CVD forum in our new WHOVA app (https://whova.com/)
Agenda: https://cmcfabs.org/agenda/
- Materials Requirements for Quantum Technologies, Satyavolu Papa Rao PhD NY Creates / SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- Materials Evolution & Challenges In ALD/EPI FEOL, Pamela Fischer PhD, ASM
- Selective Deposition for Advanced Patterning, Kandabara Tapily, PhD, TEL
- Selectors for Emerging Memories: How Are They "Materially" Different?, Milind Weling, EMD Performance Materials
- HfO2 Ferroelectrics for NVM and Piezo- and Pyro-sensing, Wenke Weinreich PhD, Fraunhofer IPMS-CNT Applications
- New Etching Gases for Advanced Memory Manufacturing, Ashutosh Misra, Electronics at Air Liquide
- ALD Precursor Developments for Mass Production of Future Semiconductor Devices, Akihiro Nishida, ADEKA
- ALD/CVD Precursor Applications & Market Trends, Terry Francis & Jonas Sundqvist PhD, TECHCET