ALD Products

APPLICATIONS   MATERIALS   SYSTEMS

The Amazing World of Genus ALD Technology

ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) is a method for producing ultra thin films for semiconductor devices and new, emerging non-semiconductor applications. ALD was initially developed over 20 years ago, but it was only until recently that ALD began attracting keen interest from manufacturers. Today, ALD is being viewed as an enabling technology that is capable of meeting scaling production requirements of next-generation geometries (0.13 micron and below). We are commercializing ALD by bringing our ALD technology to the marketplace on Genus' mature, production-ready LYNX series deposition equipment that now includes a patented ALD process chamber.

ALD RESULTS The dark thin outline in this micro photograph represents seven separate layers of materials deposited one layer at a time, with a total thickness of appx. 210 angstroms (Å). (One atom is appx. 3 - 4 Å) You will note that the structure is a very high-aspect ratio trench and yet robust 100% conformal coverage of the film is achieved without any buildup in the corners nor blockage of the trench.

Applications for ALD technology are being found in the semiconductor industry by our existing customers in DRAM and microprocessor (logic) manufacturing. Beyond the semiconductor industry, many emerging and potential applications for ALD technology await. In early 2001, we gained our first non-semiconductor ALD customer with an order from a leading manufacturer of data-storage components.

Genus' aluminum oxide insulating thin films are a mature product for which we expect to see myriad and flexible applications. We also anticipate success with the superb nanolaminate capabilities we have developed. Nanolaminates are stacks of multiple different materials, each exhibiting the excellent conformal coverage and other advantages of ALD. Our ALD technology can also work with advanced metal oxides such as tantalum oxide and zirconium oxide, and metal barrier films such as titanium nitride and tungsten nitride.