Applied Materials Targets BSI Sensors Manufacturing

Applied Materials announces Applied Producer Optiva CVD system aimed to manufacture of BSI sensors. "Emerging BSI image sensor designs present a new opportunity for Applied Materials to provide customers with the technology they need to be successful in this rapidly growing market," said Bill McClintock, VP and GM of Applied’s Dielectric Systems and Modules business unit. "The Optiva low temperature process runs on our lightning-fast Producer platform, which is great news for chipmakers looking to satisfy the demand for an estimated 300 million BSI image sensors expected to be needed by 2014."

Producer Optiva system is capable of depositing low temperature, conformal films that boost the low-light performance of the sensor while improving its durability. The system enhances the performance of the microlens by covering it with a tough, thin, transparent film layer that reduces reflections and scratches, and protects it from the environment. Importantly, the Optiva tool is the first CVD system to enable >95% conformal deposition at temperatures less than 200°C. As typical bonding adhesives have thermal budgets of approximately 200ºC, all subsequent processing on these temporarily bonded wafers must be done below 200ºC.

According to iSuppli, three-quarters of all smartphones will be fitted with BSI sensors in 2014, up from just 14% in 2010.