Overview

Lam introduced its DSM 9900 HDP CVD system in November 1995. DSM 9900 represents the next generation in HDP CVD technology first introduced in the Epic system with the DSM 9900 having a smaller footprint, high reliability and improved throughput. The DSM 9900 is well suited for the demanding requirements of high production environments. Like the Epic, the DSM 9900 makes use of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) technology to form a high density, low pressure plasma. ECR enables remote plasma coupling that minimizes particulate contamination and maximizes throughput while filling gaps as small as 0.18 microns with aspect ratios as high as 3:1. The intermetal dielectric films created by simultaneously depositing and etching are planarized more easily, by chemical mechanical polishing, than films that are repeatedly deposited and etched by conventional techniques. The DSM 9900 technology, available on Lam's Alliance platform, has been installed at several customer sites and is being qualified for production of quarter- and sub-quarter-micron logic, microprocessor, and memory integrated circuits.