LAYERS 9 - Advancing PEALD with Evatec’s New ECR Plasma Source

Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PEALD) is essential for next‑generation semiconductor devices, where purity, conformality and structural precision must come together. Evatec’s newest PEALD module, equipped with a high‑density Microwave Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma source, now pushes these capabilities further, enabling ultra‑pure films and highly controlled growth on the CLUSTERLINE® 200 platform.

Recent results show outstanding performance for Al₂O₃ films, achieving exceptional thickness uniformity below 0.5%, stable refractive index values around 1.65, and excellent conformality even on high‑aspect‑ratio structures. High throughput is maintained with 50 nm coatings processed in under 30 minutes per wafer.

For AlN, the new PEALD system delivers extremely low impurity levels and highly tunable crystallinity. The microwave plasma enables precise control of parameters such as power, ammonia flow and exposure time, allowing the film structure to be tailored to device needs. XRD measurements confirm strong c‑axis texture even at low temperatures, broadening integration possibilities for temperature‑sensitive applications in MEMS, RF and power electronics.

A major advantage is seamless integration into the CLUSTERLINE® 200 platform, where PEALD can be combined with PECVD, sputtering and etching—all within a continuous vacuum environment. This enables complete multi‑step device processing with superior contamination control, ideal for applications like high‑κ metal gate stacks, encapsulation of 2D materials, precision optical coatings and more.

Evatec is already working on future extensions such as AlScN, InGaN and new RF‑based approaches for even greater crystallinity control, supporting customers from early R&D to high‑volume production.

Read the full article in LAYERS 9

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