Deposition - Fast Atomic Sequential Technology (F.A.S.T.®)

A unique process full of advantages.

At the intersection of ALD and CVD deposition methodologies, Plasma-Therm’s F.A.S.T. represents a cross between the two. Using liquid precursor vaporizers, a dual-channel gas delivery showerhead, and a capacitively coupled plasma generation configuration, films can be deposited with characteristics of both ALD and CVD. This produces conformal, ALD-like films at speeds more closely aligned to CVD. While it’s not for every application, F.A.S.T. is particularly suited for thicker films that ALD struggles with due to ALD’s slow deposition rate and films that do not require ALD’s level of conformality. With F.A.S.T. you get unique film properties, a best-in-class solution for thick and conformal layers, and ALD film performances at near-CVD speed. The result is a system with low cost of ownership.

Control

F.A.S.T. delivers temporal control for better film properties and separate species inlets with no parasitic reactions. Plasma pulsing adds another dimension to the flexibility offered by F.A.S.T. Liquid precursor vaporization provides precise volume introduction and repeatability.

High Rate

In situ plasma with controlled overlap between precursor and reactant gases generates high deposition.

Cleaning

Chamber cleaning is facilitated with in situ capacitively coupled plasma.

Applications

Examples include silicon oxide (SiO2) liners for through-silicon via (TSV) technology for 2.5D and 3D packaging and titanium nitride (TiN) for superconducting interconnects for quantum computing.