Lam and Imec pursue 3-D integration
Lam and imec announced a collaboration to accelerate manufacturing readiness for 3D integration technologies supporting advanced packaging and next-generation memory. The collaboration focuses on key process challenges that must be solved before heterogeneous integration can scale broadly, with joint research areas including thick dielectric deposition, asymmetric stress compensation, bevel deposition, and plasma dicing, alongside process validation for advanced packaging and future memory architectures; the work also extends into future 3D memory technologies such as new charge-trap materials, precision multilayer deposition, high-aspect-ratio channel etch, deep memory contacts, and low-resistivity interconnects. The source states these innovations are increasingly important as AI workloads drive demand for greater memory density and bandwidth. The parties are also collaborating on R&D to advance Lam's Aether dry resist platform using imec's high-NA EUV research environment, targeting enhanced resolution, sensitivity, depth of focus and stochastic defectivity, and exploring Aether-enabled patterning for advanced interconnects, including ruthenium direct metal etch at increasingly aggressive pitches. Joint research has already demonstrated single-exposure high-NA EUV patterning for sub-20 nm ruthenium direct metal etch interconnects; across the wafer at 20nm pitch, that work obtained 100% electrical yield for fork structures sensitive to bridges and >90% for meander structures sensitive to breaks. The collaboration remains at the R&D and manufacturing-readiness stage; the source gives no volume-production timeline or commercial terms.
- Related manufacturers
- Lam, imec
- Impact score
- 45 / 100, medium impact