Coo Dictates Memory's Move To Copper

摘要

Ten years after its initial introduction for logic device manufacturing, copper interconnect technology is rapidly being adopted for memory chip production. For advanced nodes, the technical advantages of a copper metallization scheme over an aluminum interconnect have long been recognized. In comparison to aluminum interconnects, the reduced RC delay of copper means increased device speeds, lower power consumption, and lower operating temperatures -features that are important for all semiconductor applications. For memory chipmakers in particular, copper allows longer wiring runs than aluminum, while supporting new DRAM architectures such as DDR3 and DDR4. The primary driver for the migration of copper metallization into memory devices is not a technical one - it's all about cost. Recent macroeconomic issues have put unprecedented pressures on the average selling price of memory chips, requiring chipmakers to significantly accelerate cost reduction to maintain profitability. Without question, the most effective way to reduce manufacturing cost is to leverage Moore's Law and take advantage of die shrinks associated with technology node advancements. A decade ago, in seeking to build smaller and more powerful chips, the logic manufacturers had to shift to copper interconnect for functional performance and device speed.