Scaling the BEOL: A Toolbox Filled with New Processes, Boosters and Conductors

Extending interconnects towards the 3nm technology node and beyond requires several innovations. Imec sees single-print EUV in dual-damascene modules, Supervia structures, semi-damascene modules and added functionality in the back-end-of-line (BEOL) as the way forward.

Nowhere Near Room Temp Superconductors

On-chip metal interconnects limit IC speed in many advanced design today, and with signal delay proportional to the product of the resistance (R) of wires and the capacitance (C) of dielectric insulation, wires with R lower than that of copper…

Bottoms-up ELD of Cobalt Plugs

As reported in more detail at Solid State Technology, during the IEEE IITC now happening in Grenoble, imec and Lam showed a new Electroless Deposition (ELD) cobalt (Co) process that is claimed to provide void-free bottoms-up pre-filling of vias and…