AquiVia™ - Wet processes for isolation, barrier and seed layer deposition cuts costs
Alchimer has achieved wet deposition of the insulation and barrier layers inside high-aspect ratio through-silicon vias (TSVs). It is now feasible to produce conformal, uniform insulation and barrier layers inside a TSV with aspect ratios 10:1 and beyond, even on the highly scalloped TSVs etch profiles produced by the DRIE/Bosch process. Combined with Alchimer's eG ViaCoat™ product which creates conformal copper seed layers, it allows the same tool to be used for the deposition of insulation, barrier and seed layers. This latest breakthrough will completely eliminate all dry processing techniques from TSV metallization, cutting the cost of ownership of the via stack metallization by over 50%.
Alchimer's AquiVia technology, powered by eG ViaCoat, provides conformal and uniform insulation, barrier and seed layers. The insulation and seed layers are produced using Alchimer's proprietary electrografting technology, in which conformal coatings can be grown on the surface of conducting and semiconducting materials by applying a solution containing specific chemical precursors and an external current source. The barrier layer is produced using Alchimer's chemical grafting process, whereby electrons are derived from reactants in the solution rather than from an external current source.
Features
- Excellent step coverage of all layers, even at high aspect ratios
- Conformal layers over scalloped walls created by DRIE enabling void-free Cu filling of vias
- Isolation layer with dielectric properties well suited for TSV
- Excellent barrier quality and performance
- Uniformity at the wafer scale
- Nanometer scale thickness control
- Highly adherent films
Benefits
- CoO advantage compared to dry vacuum technologies (to learn more please register)
- Excellent step coverage compared to PVD - especially for high aspect-ratio vias
AquiVia is available for beta-site implementation at selected customer sites. eG ViaCoat is available for license now. Contact us for more information at info@alchimer.com.
