Matsushita looks below 45nm

Matsushita Electric Industrial has joined IMEC's sub-45nm research platform as a core partner.

Matsushita Electric Industrial has joined IMEC's sub-45nm research platform as a core partner.

In 2003, IMEC launched a centralised research platform to develop sub-45nm process technologies in line with the semiconductor technology roadmap.

This research platform allows companies to collaborate during the research phase and reduce individual risk and costs, while deriving results more quickly by working together in a state-of-the-art facility.

Within this sub-45nm research platform, IMEC brings together leading semiconductor manufacturers, material and equipment suppliers to collaborate on advanced process modules and device research, targeting technology generations two to three nodes ahead of state-of-the-art IC production.

The signing of the core partnership agreement by Matsushita marks the beginning of a new phase, following a successful collaboration with IMEC on the development and implementation of high-k gate stacks for the (sub)-65nm node, which began in 2002.

By becoming a core partner, Matsushita will play an active role in implementing and monitoring the sub-45nm research programmes at IMEC, gaining an early insight in breakthrough research and a fundamental understanding in each area.

Today, six integrated device manufacturers have already agreed to be a core member in IMEC's sub-45nm silicon research programmes and negotiations are ongoing with several others.

The research programmes include: advanced lithography; cleaning and contamination control; substrate modules - implementation of high-mobility layers and advanced source/drain engineering solutions; gate stack - high-k dielectrics and metal gates; alternative CMOS devices (eg SOI and multigate FETs); germanium-based CMOS devices; and advanced interconnect solutions - ultra-low-k materials and wafer-level packaging on copper damascene.

IMEC's strategic alliance with ASML (including the recently announced collaboration on 193nm liquid immersion lithography) and partnerships with several leading equipment manufacturers will guarantee that research will be performed on the latest industrial process tools.

To this end, IMEC began construction of a 300mm clean room last year, which will be ready for equipment installation this quarter.

"We are very pleased that one of the leading Japanese IDMs, Matsushita, with excellent in-house R and D expertise, has become a core partner within our sub-45nm silicon research platform", said Prof Gilbert Declerck, President and CEO of IMEC.

"Based on our excellent experience with Matsushita in the collaboration that started in 2002, we are looking forward to broaden our partnership to the complete set of our sub-45nm silicon research programmes.

This extension of our research platform in Japan is an important step towards the further globalisation of IMEC's sub-45nm research platform.

By bringing together European, Korean, US and now Japanese semiconductor manufacturers as well, a worldwide consortium with adequate critical mass has been formed to collaborate on the most advanced research to stay in tune with the semiconductor technology roadmap, which is essential for this global semiconductor industry".

"Matsushita anticipates to gain advanced knowledge of the most important technologies for the sub-45nm nodes through the research", said Yukio Furuta, Vice President of Matsushita's Semiconductor Company.

"By collaborating as a core partner within IMEC's sub-45nm research platform, we can accelerate the development of process and device technologies for the sub-45nm nodes".

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