Home> Press Release> Press Release (2004)> ZEON Corporation Develops an Innovative New Low-Dielectric Constant Inter-Layer
Insulation Film (Low-k) Material

ZEON Corporation Develops an Innovative New Low-Dielectric ConstantInter-Layer Insulation Film (Low-k) Material
October 7, 2004
ZEON Corporation has successfully developed ZEOMAC™, a new low-dielectric constant inter-layer insulation
film (Low-k) material with a dielectric constant of dramatically lowered to 2.2, for use in the manufacture ofsemiconductors. The new Low-k material is a circular C5F8 fluorocarbon compound that has a higher filmdensity than porous silica (a Low-k material that has been put into practical use) and superior mechanicalstrength with close adhesion. This new technology firstly enables multi-layer minute processing that was believed
to be impossible. The new compound is formed into a practical film using a microwave-excited high-density
plasma device developed by Professor Tadahiro Ohmi of the New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku
University with government supprt by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and from NEDO (New Energyand Industrial Technology Development Organization).
ZEOMAC™ will be manufactured at ZEON's Takaoka Plant, and the Semi-Conductors Specialty Materials
Division started marketing the product in October 2004. Sales of ¥5 billion are expected for fiscal 2007.
It is essential to lower the dielectric constant of insulation film in order to miniaturize, increase the speed, andlower the power consumption of semiconductor devices. Whilst many experiments are being conducted on
porous materials that have air with a low dielectric constant inside the film, these materials have disadvantages,
such as low mechanical strength with poor adhesion. On the contrary, the new material that ZEON has
developed is not porous, but high-density film material created by a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) processusing a fluorocarbon compound. For that reason, it is possible to create low dielectric constant film featuring
excellent mechanical strength with close adhesion. The new technology enables processing of ultra-minute line
widths of 65 nm, 45 nm, or 32 nm, which were previously believed to be difficult to attain. Also, since the ozone
depletion potential is "0"(zero) and atmospheric lifespan is 0.98 year, both of which mark great progress, thecontribution to global warming is low. ZEOMAC™ is thus ecologically sound material.
According to the roadmap for semiconductors, small-scale manufacture of semiconductors with line widths of 65
nm will start from 2005, and full-scale mass production will start in 2007. ZEON is developing Low-k materials
with an extremely low dielectric constant of under 2.0 and intends to pursue further R&D in this field.
Supplementary Explanation
1. Microwave-excited high-density plasma device
This device generates plasma by using microwaves. The plasma gives rise to polymerization of chemicalsubstances, for example, circular C5F8. The polymerized substance created in this reaction is formed into film.
2. CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition)
Accumulates the polymerized substance created by plasma in a gas flow.

For further information
Zeon Corporation,
Department of Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3216-2747