New Aktiv Preclean Extends Applied Materials' PVD Barrier-Seed Technology Leadership in 45nm and Beyond

Applied Materials, Inc. today announced a significantenhancement to its Applied Endura(R) CuBS (copper barrier/seed) systemwith the new Aktiv(TM) Preclean chamber, extending the system'sleadership position in 45nm-generation copper-low k interconnects. Inaddition to effectively removing polymeric residues and copper oxidefrom the interconnect, the Aktiv Preclean chamber has the firstpreclean technology that effectively preserves the integrity ofultra-low k (k less than or equal to 2.5) dielectrics, resulting in upto 10% improvement in RC delay over previous reactive precleantechnologies.

"Aktiv Preclean extends the Applied Endura CuBS PVD(1) technologywith a highly effective, damage-free process that helps chipmakerstransition to second-generation low k films, such as our Black DiamondII," said Dr. Farhad Moghadam, senior vice president and generalmanager of Applied Materials' Thin Films Group. "Conventional precleantechnology can raise the k-value of ultra-low k films by as much as20%. With Aktiv Preclean, customers can confidently utilize thishighly-effective technology with ultra-low k films knowing thatk-value is preserved."

The Applied Aktiv Preclean chamber provides a benign clean processbefore depositing the barrier and Cu seed layer in copperinterconnects. Its highly reactive hydrogen radicals gently cleancomplex interconnect stacks, assuring low via and line resistance andincreasing parametric yield. The design of the Aktiv Preclean chamberreduces defects and enables up to 30,000 wafers between maintenancecycles, an increase of up to 3x over reactive preclean chambers.

The Applied Endura CuBS PVD system has been chosen Tool of Recordby leading chipmakers in the U.S., Europe, Taiwan and Japan forcritical 45nm development, including advanced microprocessor, foundryand graphics chip manufacturers. This high level of customeracceptance demonstrates how the Endura CuBS system's latest technologyadvances, plus Applied's interconnect integration expertise, can playa cost effective, critical role in creating the electronic driversthat will power tomorrow's most exciting consumer products. Moreinformation on the Endura CuBS PVD system can be found athttp://www.appliedmaterials.com/products/endura_cubs.

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader innanomanufacturing technology(TM) solutions for the electronicsindustry with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service andsoftware products. At Applied Materials, we apply nanomanufacturingtechnology to improve the way people live. Learn more atwww.appliedmaterials.com.

(1) PVD = physical vapor deposition