Applied Materials, a U.S. semiconductor equipment corporations, unveiled an angstrom (Å·0.1 nm)-scale, ultra-fine process solution that it said will radically boost AI Semiconductor performance. The strategy is to tackle surging power consumption and process complexity in the AI era and accelerate the technology roadmap through collaboration with major customers in Korea.
The three new products Applied unveiled that day are ▲ Viba ▲ Sym3G Magnum ▲ Spectral. These tools are optimized to boost the Production yield and performance of Gate-All-Around (GAA) processes, a next-generation transistor structure at 2 nanometers (nm) and below.
As semiconductor processes shrink to 2 nanometers and below, the conventional FinFET structure has hit limits in current control. GAA, introduced to solve this, has a structure in which the gate wraps all four sides of the channel, reducing leakage current and lowering operating voltage, and is cited as a key technology to improve power efficiency in AI Semiconductor.
Applied's new technology stands out for advancing the "cut, polish, and fill" steps to raise the completeness of GAA processing. First, the "Viba radical treatment system" precisely processes the nanosheet channel surface at the atomic level to remove impurities. This directly improves transistor performance by reducing scattering that occurs when electrons move. The tool has already been adopted by major manufacturers and its performance has been verified.
The "Sym3G Magnum etch system" precisely controls ion density and angle when forming source and drain cavities. By creating a much more vertical and uniform rectangular bottom than conventional methods, it enables uniform access between nanosheets and greatly increases Production yield.
Finally, "Spectral molybdenum ALD" showcased an innovation that replaces tungsten, the conventional key material for semiconductor wiring, with the new material "molybdenum." Molybdenum can maintain low resistance even in fine processes, and, through selective deposition technology, reduced contact resistance by more than 15% compared with tungsten.
Applied cited the "AI power consumption problem" as the backdrop for the new product launch. Kevin Moraes, Applied's corporate vice president of marketing, said, "AI is completely changing the world around us," and noted, "By 2040, performance and energy efficiency need to be enhanced by more than 10,000 times, and Applied will help deliver greater efficiency in chip manufacturing processes."
Applied plans to significantly strengthen ecosystem cooperation with major partners and educational institutions at home and abroad, going beyond technological innovation. A representative example is Samsung Electronics joining as the first funding member of the next-generation semiconductor research lab "EPIC Center" being built in Silicon Valley. In Korea, the "Korea Collaboration Center (KCC)" to be established in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, is slated to officially open in the second half of next year.
Park Gwang-seon, head of Applied Korea, said, "Korea is a top-priority market where memory and advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are concentrated," and added, "To respond to explosively growing customer demand, we will work closely with universities and corporations and support the seamless completion of the two centers to continuously expand infrastructure."
Vice President Michael Chudzik said, "These new products have already completed proofs with leading global manufacturers or are in the final stages of technology evaluation," and added, "Based on Applied's 25 years of know-how, we will actively support Korean customers in accelerating their roadmap for the angstrom era."