Toshiba Utilizes Applied Materials
Applied Materials Inc. today announced its Black Diamond and BLOk low k dielectric films are being used by Toshiba Corporation for volume production of its advanced 90nm CMOS4 process in the Oita, Japan facility, further validating the manufacturability of Applied Materials’ low k films. Toshiba is using Black Diamond and BLOk to deliver higher performance and lower power consumption required for its TC300 family of ASICs, now being incorporated in the latest wireless devices, networking and server products.
Low k films are key to increasing the speed and power-efficiency of next-generation devices but have presented significant integration issues in the transition from research and development to production. Working together, Toshiba and Applied Materials have resolved these challenges to achieve a production-worthy low k process that will enable faster, more powerful chips.
Dr. Masakazu Kakumu, technology executive of Toshiba Corporation Semiconductor Company said, “Our TC300 family is targeted at next-generation, high-end applications ranging from portable wireless devices to high-speed networking and server products. Through a combination of design and manufacturing technologies, including 11 layers of copper wiring and Applied Materials’ low k films, we are able to meet the most advanced performance and low power requirements for these applications. For example, integrating Black Diamond and BLOk has enabled us to reduce power consumption by almost 50 percent and capacitance by 16 percent. These results open the door to supporting a wider array of devices suitable for consumer and enterprise products.” Continue >>