July 18, 2007 – Applied Materials Inc. today released its Applied Producer ACE SACVD system, which helps extend 193nm lithography using self-aligned double patterning (SADP) schemes. The ACE system reportedly delivers a highly conformal oxide spacer film with greater than 95% step coverage, <5% pattern loading and <1% nonuniformity for critical dimension control.

Combined with a benchmark throughput of >80 wafers/hr and a low thermal budget, the ACE system offers the industry’s most productive and extendible spacer solution for SADP at the 32nm node and beyond.

“Lithography is struggling to keep pace with the demand for higher memory storage densities; SADP technology enables a doubling of pattern densities using current litho schemes, making it the preferred solution for 32nm and beyond,” said Hichem M’Saad, VP and GM of Applied Materials’ Dielectric Systems and CMP Business Group.

The performance of Applied’s ACE technology has been validated at Applied’s Maydan Technology Center. An advanced TANOS flash memory structure was fabricated using an advanced SADP technique. The structure was successfully optimized using Applied’s Producer CVD, Centura AdvantEdge G3 Etch and VeritySEM metrology systems.