The Applied Producer Black Diamond PECVD (Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) technology is the industry-standard low k dielectric solution for ≤90nm copper/low k interconnects, with over 40 million chips processed using Black Diamond to power the industry’s most advanced devices. The film exhibits excellent moisture resistance, stable k-value after etch and photoresist removal, and superior mechanical strength with proven integration robustness. With a dielectric constant of ≤3.0, Black Diamond enables significant reductions in the capacitance of the dielectric stack while delivering low cost of ownership and high productivity.

The next-generation Black Diamond II (BD II) with NanoCure UV extends the industry-leading Black Diamond technology to ultra-low k dielectric applications (k≤2.5) for ≤45nm generations. The UV cure is used to induce porosity and strengthen the Si-O backbone. Small average pore size and tight pore size distribution eliminate the need for pore sealing. Excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical properties simplify integration of the BD II film into increasingly complex schemes.

The Applied Black Diamond processes run on the production-proven, high-throughput Producer platform. With its innovative Twin Chamber architecture, the Producer platform enables simultaneous processing of up to six wafers for superior productivity and significant reduction in cost of ownership with high system reliability. Platform extendibility enables customers to leverage the Producer toolset for multiple process nodes.