Lam Research’s Selective Etch Portfolio is Advancing the Next Major Technology Inflection Point in the Chip Industry

Over the past decade, the demand for smaller, denser, and more powerful chips has been driving semiconductor manufacturers to transition from planar structures to increasingly complex three-dimensional (3D) structures. The reason is simple: vertical stacking allows for higher density.

The use of 3D architectures to support advanced logic and memory applications represents the next major technology inflection point in the semiconductor industry . Non-volatile memory was the first to achieve this technology inflection point, and Lam Research's etch and deposition tools continue to be at the forefront of this innovation. Chip manufacturers are actively working to transition the structure of logic devices to gate-all-around (GAA) in the next 12-24 months, and are looking at 3D DRAM.

Today, GAA is widely considered to be a replacement for finFET structures in advanced logic devices, designed to support the next generation and beyond of the world's most powerful processors. In this improved transistor structure, the gate wraps 360 degrees around the contact channel to achieve continued scaling. The current carrying capacity of GAA transistors is increased by vertically stacking nanosheets or nanowires and wrapping the gate material around the channel. The size of the nanosheets can be scaled so that the size of the transistor can be adjusted according to the desired application.

GAA may be simple in concept, but such a structured device poses huge challenges to semiconductor manufacturing. Some revolve around the fabrication of the structure, while others involve the new materials needed to achieve the miniaturization goals. The main challenge is that when building a complex structure, different layers must be laid down and certain elements must be removed in subsequent steps, such as removing SiGe with atomic-level precision.

To address these challenges, we believe that early selective etching methods are no longer sufficient and new processes and capabilities are needed to build higher density, taller and more powerful structures. Selectivity has always been an important attribute of etching processes, however, creating advanced 3D architectures that will drive future digital technologies and devices requires ultra-high selectivity and precision at the atomic level to manufacture very complex transistor structures.

Lam Research continues to innovate to help the chip industry achieve the next leap in 3D architectures. Working closely with customers, we have developed a new suite of state-of-the-art selective etch tools that will support the development of next-generation advanced logic devices and, soon, advanced memory applications such as 3D DRAM.

We are proud to work with our customers to lead the 3D inflection point, driving society forward through the power of semiconductor technology to create a smarter, more connected world.