The Outlook for Semiconductor Processes and Manufacturing Technologies in the 0.1-µm Age 334 The Outlook for Semiconductor Processes and Manufacturing Technologies in the 0.1-µm Age

OVERVIEW: In the 0.1-µm age, it will be possible to build more than one billion transistors on a silicon chip welcoming in the “system-on-a-chip” era. This age will feature an even greater demand for high-performance and low-cost characteristics in LSIs, as well as Quick Turnaround Time (QTAT) from development to production. Device technologies and process technologies have progressed dramatically in recent years, with advanced technologies being driven not only by Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) but also by logic products like microprocessors. Specifically, DRAM has been driving memory cell technologies and fine-processing technologies, and logic products have been driving high-performance transistor technologies and multilevel wiring technologies. Issues in the fabrication of memory cells are the selection of capacitor structure and its insulator film. On the other hand, the major issue in fine-processing technologies is dealing with inherent limits to miniaturization with excimer laser exposure equipment, and for feature sizes of 0.1 µm and smaller, shorter wavelengths or electron beam drawing will have to be selected. Achieving multilevel wiring technologies, moreover, will require the construction of a high-speed wiring system by decreasing wire resistance and decreasing inter-wire capacitance. In production technologies, innovative schemes for raising productivity will be needed to lower costs and deal with shorter product life cycles. Devising QTAT and high-yield technologies to shorten the time from development to production is an important issue here