Applied Vantage Vulcan RTP -- better side of anneal

Applied Materials Inc. has launched the Vantage Vulcan RTP advanced spike anneal system, an innovation in chip manufacturing technology.

Rapid Thermal Processing (or RTP) is a semiconductor manufacturing process, that heats silicon wafers to high temperatures (up to 1,200 °C or greater) within a few seconds. It is used often during semiconductor device manufacturing to enhance desired attributes, such as conductivity.

Sundar Ramamurthy, appointed VP, GM, Front End Products, Silicon Systems Group, Applied Materials, presented on the Applied Vantage Vulcan RTP, which will help the company maintain RTP leadership for the next decade.

The Vantage Vulcan RTP provides in-class temperature uniformity for higher yield. There are sharper temperature spikes for faster chips. It also features low-temperature control for new applications. Besides, it offers efficient energy usage for lower carbon footprint.

Applied’s RTP is the technology and marketplace leader. The RTP is a growing ~$500 million market opportunity. Vantage Radiance Plus facilitates a tool of record at virtually every top chip maker. The Vantage Vulcan is in place at top chip makers for spike anneal. It also happens to be the industry’s greenest RTP solution, as its advanced system design improves the usage of grid energy.

Innovation in semiconductor manufacturing technology has seen the carbon footprint savings per system equivalent to taking four mid-size sedans off the road.

Mobility and connectivity are said to be driving growth in lower power, high performance chips that find use in smartphones, tablets, mobile PCs and servers. Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) is the thermal process, which heats silicon wafers to ultra-high temperatures on a timescale of a few seconds. It is used for anneals and oxidation.

Applied's Vantage Vulcan RTP provides a revolutionary backside heating design. Within-die spike anneal thermal variability is provided with frontside heating. There is a 3X decrease in within-die thermal variability with Vulcan system’s backside heating. The thermal processing roadmap now enables 28nm node and beyond with sharper spikes and full-range temperature control.

It enables low-temperature regime control, such as closed-loop control from <75°C, unique sensors for accurate, low-temperature measurement and new capability for advanced low-temperature applications.