World-first chipmaking carbon fills 3D gaps and creates flat surfaces in one step

A Dutch company has developed a new carbon technology that can fill tiny gaps in increasingly complex 3D chips by combining two critical production steps into a single process. Netherlands-based semiconductor equipment maker ASM International launched the XP8 Vertos Flowable Carbon on Tuesday, September 22. It is described as the market’s first plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) flowable carbon film. ASM International believes the technology could make chip production simpler.It combines gap filling and planarization, which is the process of creating a flat surface, within a single PECVD system. This could reduce production complexity, costs, and the risk of defects as chipmakers move toward more complicated 3D designs. “The industry’s ability to continue scaling increasingly complex devices depends as much on materials innovation as it does on architecture and design,” Hichem M’Saad, the company’s CEO, said. The approach has already entered high-volume manufacturing and can be used for both logic and memory devices. Filling chip gaps Although chipmakers have used carbon films for more than two decades, M’Saad stated that these materials were not designed to handle the increasingly complex structures found in modern 3D chips. The reason for this is that they conform to the shape of the features onto which they are deposited. This means uneven surfaces can remain as additional layers are added. Manufacturers then need extra processing steps to correct them. Flowable Carbon delivers a flat, uniform surface for the next patterning step.Credit: ASM International NV To overcome this problem, ASM took a different approach with Vertos Flowable Carbon. The material can flow into complex chip features and fill them from the bottom up. At the same time, it self-planarizes to leave behind a flat and uniform surface that is ready for the next patterning step. Additionally, it can fill complex high-aspect-ratio structures without creating voids or seams. The material also features increased thermal stability and area-selective deposition properties. An easier way to make chips One of the technology’s biggest benefits is that it removes extra processing steps. Because the carbon material smooths itself during deposition, manufacturers can eliminate downstream chemical mechanical planarization or etch-back steps that are normally needed to create the required surface. “The combination of engineered flowability, thermal stability, and area selective properties in a single PECVD platform is something the market has not seen before, and it opens a clear path forward for device architectures that existing carbon film technology cannot support,” Tyler Sample, VP and head of ASM’s PECVD product unit, concluded in a press release. Reducing these stages could lower the manufacturing costs and reduce the risk of defects. The technology comes as chipmakers increasingly adopt complex 3D designs to boost performance. At the same time, the growing demand for computing power, particularly for AI, is pushing chipmakers to develop new processes and materials. With that in mind, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) expects the global semiconductor market to reach USD 1.5 trillion in 2026. “Global chip sales are expected to exceed USD 1.5 trillion in 2026, with Q2 sales substantially outpacing sales in Q1 2026,” John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO, pointed out. According to Neuffer, strong sales across the Americas, Asia Pacific, and China continue to fuel global semiconductor growth.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.