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Applied Material has developed a new technology for chip production
Applied Material unveiled its new development, an advanced chip mounting technology. This innovative solution makes it possible to produce chips as small as 3 nm or even smaller. One Endura Copper Barrier Seed IMS technology replaces seven different processes. In addition, it involves the use of new materials.
Prior to that, Applied used materials which enabled the production of chips of at least 7 nm in size. If the experts wanted to reduce the device to 3 nm, the resistance of the material increased significantly, and with it, the power consumption. As a result, all the advantages of the chip were negated, and the company was losing its competitiveness on the market. Thanks to the new technology, this problem has been solved, and the resistance level has been reduced by 50% without any loss of quality. The company also changed its approach to the copper melting process, so that the chip parts can be placed as close to each other as possible.
Applied has integrated several technological processes into one, carried out in a vacuum, allowing significant upgrading of materials and design improvements. Thanks to this, customers get a more functional device, which will last longer.
Modern chips, which are used for smartphones, have a large number of copper contacts, and about 30% of energy consumption is used for wiring. Endura Copper Barrier Seed IMS technology minimizes this feature.
Many manufacturers are now experiencing an acute shortage of chips, and both automobile companies and companies offering household appliances are facing the problem. For example, for car manufacturers, a chip shortage could result in a $110 billion loss, and other segments, even the market for electric toothbrushes, would also suffer. According to experts, the problem will drag on for a long time, although steps have already been taken to solve it. For example, Intel stated that full elimination of difficulties may take several years. The head of AMD Corporation does not exclude that the lack of chips can be neutralized by the end of the current year, but it requires radical changes in the production ecosystem.
Applied Materials was founded in the United States in 1967 and is headquartered in California. The company is engaged in the supply of equipment, develops software for the production of semiconductor chips used in electronics, for the production of smartphones, flat-panel monitors and televisions. Applied is structured into three areas: semiconductor systems, global services and displays and related sectors. In addition, the company operates in the venture capital segment, developing promising projects from various business areas.