Applied Materials has unveiled two deposition and etching machines required for scaling 3D structures of advanced logic and memory semiconductors. The new equipment focuses on increasing the precision of next-generation AI semiconductor manufacturing processes by resolving material uniformity issues that occur in high aspect ratio structures.

Applied Materials announced on the 16th that it has released the Centris Spectral SiN atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system and the Producer Selectra molybdenum (Mo) etching system.

The two pieces of equipment are responsible for dielectric thin film deposition and selective metal removal processes, respectively, and are designed to meet the level of process control required for Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors and high-stacking 3D NAND structures.

The semiconductor industry is pushing for the expansion of GAA transistors and 3D NAND stacking to meet the increasing demand for AI computing. However, as the structure becomes deeper and narrower, it becomes difficult to uniformly deposit or remove materials using existing processes, which can lead to performance variations and reduced yield. To overcome these limitations, the industry is expanding the application of material control technology at the atomic level.

The Centris Spectral SiN ALD system utilizes high-density microwave plasma technology to support the formation of uniform silicon nitride films even within complex 3D structures. Silicon nitride is a key material used for insulating layers, passivation, and spacer formation, and it significantly impacts interface characteristics and electrical performance, particularly in GAA transistor processes. This equipment was developed based on Applied Materials' new Spectral ALD platform.

The Producer Selectra molybdenum etching system, also unveiled, targets the 3D NAND wordline separation process. With the recent increase in the number of 3D NAND layers and the expansion of molybdenum applications, conventional wet etching methods have been criticized for having limitations in uniform processing within deep structures. The new equipment is designed to achieve uniform wordline separation across the entire stacked structure by utilizing selective metal removal technology.

Applied Materials announced that the two machines are already being introduced into the advanced processes of leading semiconductor manufacturers. This announcement is seen as an example demonstrating that materials engineering technologies, such as deposition and etching, are emerging as key elements for enhancing the performance of next-generation logic and memory semiconductors, as miniaturization-centric scaling approaches its limits.