October 31, 2001 – Santa Clara, CA – Applied Materials has been granted patents no. 6,287,990 and 6,303,523 by the US Patent & Trademark Office covering advanced low-k dielectric chemical vapor deposition (CVD) film technology used to increase the speed and performance of next-generation chips. To date, Applied has been awarded more than 15 CVD low k-related patents that enhance its patent portfolio in this strategic technology area.

“These new patents cover some of our most important intellectual property regarding low-k dielectric films,” said Farhad Moghadam, VP and GM of Applied’s Dielectric Systems and Modules Product Business Group.

Issued in September and October 2001, both patents center on Applied’s Black Diamond technology, a family of organosilicate, glass-based, low-k dielectric products. Introduced in November 1998, Black Diamond enables chipmakers to integrate a low-k dielectric (k less than 3.0) using conventional CVD equipment and silicon-based materials, according to the company. Black Diamond can be used with Applied Materials’ BLOk dielectric CVD barrier and etch stop film to further lower the overall k value of chip interconnect structures.

Seventeen chipmakers are working with Black Diamond in development, Applied said. The product line’s first film, targeting 0.13- to 0.10-micron devices, has demonstrated the unique capability to be used on every level for 8-level copper interconnects. Customers are expected to ship chips that integrate Black Diamond in 2002.