TSMC's First Breakthrough: The Copper/Low-K Interconnect Transition

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[@thehobbyjournal]

"Semiconductor manufacturing is literally black magic. All of this just barely works, man." My favorite quote of this episode.

[@etmax1]

What is also interesting is that more and more SW makes it possible. I'd wager that in the last 8 years SW and modelling has contributed more advancement than materials science.

[@zvorenergy]

Quantum mechanics is spooky action at a distance. Happy Halloween🎃

[@jimburris]

We began developing copper interconnect twenty plus years ago.

[@hiddendrifts]

@@etmax1 "sw"?

[@etmax1]

@@hiddendrifts Yes software, they use GPU farms to calculate the optical aberrations that are needed to make the photo mask produce the actual desired pattern on the silicon. They also use evermore complex software to run the thermal and electrical timing behavioural simulations on their logic designs to know whether their chosen layout will actually work. Black magic I say 🙂

[@ChrisCiber]

Niche is best. General overviews are a dime a dozen. I want the deep lore. The kind professors try to hide from us behind 3 inch thick hardcovers.

[@dine9093]

> Niche is best. It's even better when pronounced the right way!! :D

[@quest1227]

you're thinking too large @@lucasrem

[@TheHilariousGoldenChariot]

My exact thoughts

[@chunqk]

Lore so deep that you commented 2 months ago on a video less than an hour old!

[@lucasrem]

@@dine9093 You never make any money on niche products. Pronounced it, we understand him, are you non native ? China India levels of English you need ? US failed too !

[@matthewhayes7671]

"Idk guys this video is pretty niche and probably won't do well -" Goes on to unroll the most fascinating semiconductor historical deep-dive with ample visual aid and citations. I love this channel so much.

[@miinyoo]

The drama of the semiconductor industry is long, wide and varied; not just the interconnection of transistors but the players themselves. Always a good time to get a glimpse into that world.

[@PrograError]

how many players are there these days? I know China (PRC) has some government grown fabs and companes, but the major ones are TSMC, Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm (NVIDIA and AMD I heard is just contractors/ designers, not main players, just like with Apple)

[@makisekurisu4674]

IBM still makes stuffs

[@PainterVierax]

@@makisekurisu4674 They do but like this copper interconnect story they rarely go past the research domain to make industrial manufacturing.

[@nntflow7058]

It's messier than the housewive of New jersey.

[@rexxbailey2764]

LOLS REALLY!!??? 😀😂 HOW ELSE SO!?? DOES SOUND INTERESTING! 😄

[@jimpad5608]

FYI - when chip frequencies approach microwave (about one GHz) , the regular resistance and capacitor functions become really weird. For many years of my career, designing circuit boards was fairly easy. Then system frequencies approached one GHz and beyond and we had to use microwave design rules where a wire was no longer a wire but much more complex with properties like an antenna. The chip designers have also hit those restrictions which is one of the reasons very few commercial chips function beyond two GHz and all cpu/gpu makers went to multi-cpu/gpu designs.

[@tommihommi1]

for by far most wires on a chip, the RC line model can be "good enough", even at very high frequencies. The medium -long haul interconnects are where it gets more tricky, but there's design rules and simulation tools that mean it's possible to make them work. Frequency scaling isn't limited by the interconnect, it's limited by power, primarily

[@BB-iq4su]

at 10ghz the wavelength is about the same as the die edge length for cpu chips, 30mm.

[@jameslouizbuilds]

@@Archonsxlol

[@vincentperiolat4610]

​@@tommihommi1interesting, I think. I almost have a simplified, basic, cursory grasp/understanding of what you're talking about. . . 🤔 almost

[@NegitoroIsBestShip]

So, none of the 8 cores of my 3700x actually clock at 4.3 ghz? They all run below 1 ghz and the speed is added up to 4.3? Weird.

[@wt29]

Thanks Jon, as usual a brilliantly researched topic. As another commenter stated "Niche is good". In the years to come, you will be regarded as the definative semiconductor historian.

[@me0101001000]

He's become a resource for me to stay updated on the industry even after I decided on changing my line of work. When I was an undergrad, I started off wanting to eventually go into chip manufacturing, but halfway through, I shifted towards energy conversion and storage. I rely on this channel as one of the ways I still stay informed about the semiconductor industry.

[@ChrisSudlik]

"niche" almost every human on earth uses this technology that is the closest thing humans have ever done to literal magic. The work you're doing with this channel is priceless for society.

[@Hyperious_in_the_air]

imagine explaining to a person from 1265 that "yeah, we put lightning inside a rock and it displays moving images of cats for us now"

[@noname7271]

​@@Hyperious_in_the_airThis is how you get burned at the stake for being a witch. We stiill have a ways to go with these simpleton imbeciles, just look at the last pandemic.

[@rexxbailey2764]

​@@Hyperious_in_the_air:😆😆😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂😂😆😂😂 YES, THOSE CATS DANCE FOR OUR PLEASURE! 😈✊ 😄😄

[@CRneu]

Dude, how do you produce so many incredibly good videos on such a consistent basis? I can't thank you enough for teaching me so much about the industry I work in, plus various other topics. You're one of the best resources for this kind of thing.

[@H0mework]

Another comment said information over visual style. Asianometry is closer to an audiobook than a video channel. Also insider info perhaps.

[@hfyaer]

He has 50 workers in his basement working day and night to produce the next video. No Christmas, no new year, no Chinese new year...

[@WenceslaoMartinez-q1g]

I bet he recruits the retired TSMC engineers and locks them in windowless rooms with impossible deadlines until they finish the scripts of the videos.

[@MichaelOfRohan]

He reads a whooole bunch

[@StickySli]

As a Masters in Electrical Engineering student, these videos are providing me with very insightful additional resources for my courses. I thank you a lot for your hard work.

[@robertb6889]

This was a great history of these technologies. As an engineer who has firs to hand experience with these lines and steps, I appreciate the background, and I see the same ongoing work and challenges with current industry shifts.

[@darkstarprojekt]

The problems and challenges are what thrust innovation through a select few that are willing and able to try something new. I'm waiting for torus shaped chips, maybe sphere in design. Might want to start linking physics with material sciences now that robots are becoming more accurate during the design process.

[@der.Schtefan]

Birds on a line don't add DC resistance but do add capacitance, thus adding to the AC impedance to a point that you can measure it if you wanted, with signal reflections even WHERE on the line they sit.

[@tonydoggett7627]

Pre high speed internet, I wired the telephone lines in my house in a star pattern. Had to change that as speeds increased due to the capacitance of the other lines. Now it’s just one line straight to the modem.

[@erictayet]

@@tonydoggett7627 dude, time to switch to twisted pairs for your phone lines! 😁 Seriously though, I've seen people use CAT-5E cable for their ADSL POTS line.

[@erictayet]

I don't think the general audience has reach THAT level of electrical engineering. AC & DC are very different animals. Still, NeXT is a real phenomenal in DC data buses and long parallel (untwisted) transmission lines.

[@milantrcka121]

But at 50/60 Hz and corresponding wavelength? Back in the day we referred to this situation as "fly poop in pepper".

[@ChristopherGoggans]

​@@erictayetbetter hope it's the cat 5e that's gel filled and rated for exterior exposure, preferably with a bonded aerial cable to take the strain weight of the wire 🤣

[@no-winteronly_snow5061]

亲爱的亚洲测量学 作为一名IEEE技术极客，我对您最近分享的技术纪录片中所运用的无可挑剔和简明扼要的细节印象深刻。感谢您提醒我在IEEE行业工作时核物理学教育的重要性。这样的背景在未来的技术发展中是非常宝贵的。这部视频是您杰出工艺的产物，我很感激有机会见证专业知识和技术创新的交汇。 诚挚的问候, 宋我为你博士

[@rayoflight62]

The designers define the product R x C as the "time constant" of an integrator. So the RC number is not "niche" as many said, but it is absolutely at the front of semiconductor technology in setting the maximum clock frequency of an IC. Thank you for the incredibly well researched video. Greetings, Anthony

[@FTW23-qq8nb]

Does RC-delay contribute to higher voltage required for a higher frequency.

[@Graham_Wideman]

@@FTW23-qq8nb Actually, over the years, CPU and logic technologies have advanced in the direction of ever lower logic voltages. From nominal 5V in the 1970's, through 3.3V, 2.5, 1.8, 1.2, 0.8V. As new technology made each lower voltage feasible, it was adopted because lower voltage logic transitions (0 --> 1 or 1 --> 0) require less charging of the unwanted but ever-present "parasitic" capacitance. Also lower voltage allows smaller and closer features, facilitating higher density chips. During any particular era, higher speed at a particular voltage has required higher _current_, to more rapidly charge the parasitic capacitance. So you will find that logic families that are contemporary with each other may have variants for low-power and low speed, or high power (higher current drivers) for higher speed.

[@badtyprr]

A capacitor resists changes in voltage. Since current is bounded by resistance, there is a maximum voltage that can be achieved for a particular clock frequency. Lower the clock frequency, and you can increase the voltage and vice versa.

[@FTW23-qq8nb]

@@badtyprr Why does overclock then often require higher than stock voltage soc.

[@bobsmith3983]

@@FTW23-qq8nb The time constant is the same but there is less time due to the higher clock speed to reach the logic threshold. With a higher voltage on the logic power supply the rise time to the fixed logic threshold is faster allowing the logic to operate properly when overclocked.

[@kobevo7179]

Small correction at 17:40 . This is an edge bead removal chamber used to etch away copper seed on the edge post electroplating. You can see a small grey arm used to dispense etchant on the edge of the plated wafer. Great video, love your content!

[@jedibusiness789]

Two things delayed 300mm production. Photo lithography improvement (smaller lines). And copper’s pressure curve. Copper would deposit on vacuum pump lobes and make the pump useless within a week.

[@msimon6808]

Remember early CMOS? No protection diodes. Everybody had to dress up. Repairs needed to be choreographed.

[@stevestarcke]

I made copper dummy wafers for the new copper chip makers. The copper plating bath was unique. It deposited high purity copper preferentially in the bottom of trenches. By inhibiting deposition at the top of the trenches. This enabled filling deep high aspect ration trenches to be filled. Subsequent chemical mechanical polishing resulted in deep clean vias and a flat surface for subsequent deposition. Truly a game changer. And an exquisite example of the platers art.

[@toasteroven8341]

12:20 the person second from the left is Lisa Su who's now CEO of AMD

[@PaulSpades]

No way...

[@roryoconnor4989]

Who’s Jensen Huang’s first cousin lol. The apples don’t fall far

[@genefulm]

I like this channel. It's one of my top 5 favorites. You really found a niche, and tell good stories.

[@sjsm8578]

😅 May I just say, I find it very amusing that Asianometry would say 'Aluminum' while placing 'Aluminium' on the screen for us 😂

[@rehoboth_farm]

I ramped up Intel fab 22, their first full production copper fab. I worked in defect metrology. This sure brings back memories. I've spent literally thousands of hours looking at copper metal lines under a microscope.

[@erictayet]

Another GREAT video. It reminded me of my first term in digital electronics decades ago. I remember this innovation! IBM inventing copper on silicon, as it was called, back then. What I didn't realise was the rest of the industry catching up within the year. And yes the low-K dielectric problem took more time to crack. By that time, I have already moved to the software side of things. I remember my Polytechnic offering Micro-tronics (wafer fab) for the Mechanical engineering students.

[@mefobills279]

TSMC enjoyed technology transfer for copper BEOL. It was only later that they started leading, after reaching parity with IEDMs. I know, I had to transfer and teach them. Novellus and IBM worked on the node and invented the capital equipment. Other American vendors worked with iedms on the stack. It was wall street and finance capital that pushed asset light strategy.

[@PBlague]

This video was one of the most satisfying videos I've seen in a while! It was sooo cool to learn soo much in just 40 mins! This, for me, was one of those videos that really made all the puzzle pieces I've been gathering over the years just fall into place together... Thanks! Your presentation of all this historic and scientific data was immaculate!

[@jordanhildebrandt3705]

Thanks for this fascinating and well written video! Your narration / delivery is excellent - clear, well paced, informative, and yet just informal and human enough to warm the whole thing up and make it relaxing and fun. I think this is my favorite of your videos. A great topic, given an excellent treatment.

[@thecraggrat]

You are missing critical information as to how TSMC "cracked" the low k dielectric issue at the 130nm node...specifically they didn't. What happened was that at the 130 nm node they went into a "partnership" with LSI Logic in exchange for fab capacity and a Low-k copper back end. In reality TSMC's low-k backend was as you've mention fluorinated oxide, which was "lower-k". As part of the agreement LSI and TSMC "shared" their 130nm processes, LSI had a low-k/Cu backend that had been put together inside a year after the sales/marketing group changed their tack on what was required for the interconnect - initially they agreed a low-k/Al process was OK (which it was from strictly a data driven standpoint, but by mid process development Cu/Low-k were the buzzwords and they changed their requirements, hence the hasty development of the low-k/Cu backend). This low-k/Cu backend used low-k from the 180nm process using Electrotech/Trikon Flowfill dielectric, that I believe was MSQ based. After we saw the FSG/Cu backend process that TSMC were using for their 130nm process, we had to transfer the Low-k/Cu process from our development to TSMC to be able to produce our 130nm material, so TSMC effectively were given all the information to run a true low-k/Cu back end process, effectively for free. It was universally agreed by the engineering staff who were required to do the transfer as a BAD IDEA, and was the beginning of the end for LSI Logic wrt to developing and manufacturing leading edge technology, but the corporate leadership thought is was a good idea as it saved on manufacturing investment, but at the expense of giving away the process crown jewels at that point in time.

[@AABB-px8lc]

interesting, I hope it will be mentioned in next videos and comment above get more likes.

[@jaapaap123]

Apparently it was LSI Illogic.

[@drthrottle]

@thecraggrat Yes you are 100% correct - I was the provider of the Trikon Low-K "Flowfill" process which we put into production at LSI (not high volume) at 0.18 micron with aluminum. As LSI determined, it was the C in the RC constant that was where all the improvement could be most realized for the devices, and thats why they chose us and we partnered to deliver it. But yes there was some less than straight talk, and a decision to finally partner with TSMC against the engineering team's recommendations, et voila' TSMC gets a free industry breakthrough from LSI. Whats more, the Black Diamond of AMAT where I went to work was a copy of the Trikon Flowfill Low-K process - same SiOC process except the silicon carbide barrier they call Blok. So it was not a TSMC breakthough but an LSI hand off. And once TSMC had it from LSI, LSI found their competitive edge lost as the entire industry had it now and they went fabless then sold the company.

[@helmutzollner5496]

Excellent program. Very interesting chronology. Learnt that Copper xan't be etched. Didn't know that. Also had not realized that the metal separation layer was a Tantalum compound. I can see now why it too IBM 15 years to develop it. Thank you for your amazing work.

[@nimbleminded8304]

Very impressive research and excellent video presentation. I lived through the 250, 180, and 130 nm process nodes as a fab customer. Thank you for helping me relive this history.

[@crawkn]

This gave me a deeper appreciation for the hard-won R&D miracles that go into the struggle for cheaper faster microprocessors. It's amazing to think of how far TSMC has come in a couple of decades. I for one would love to know more about the even more miraculous struggle to get us to 2nm.

[@jaykita2069]

Very good video - AMD using CVD to apply butter is a classic comment. Passing along a couple of historical comments: IBM always had a Ferrari type process in the wings that they didn't run or scale up. In 1979, the M1 & M2 pitches for NMOS 1 were 5.0 and 7.4um. The process used Polyimide dielectric (2.8 dielectric constant). Patterning the vias had topography issues that were related to reliability problems, but the biggest issue was that IBM never decided to ramp production - it was easier to use the internal technology as a bargaining chip.

[@WenceslaoMartinez-q1g]

You son of a... I have never been this thrilled and fascinated by a story about microchips. That was truly fantastic! I have seen all your videos and this was by far the most exciting one. Remarkable work!

[@AC-jk8wq]

Jon Deer, Fantastic presentation as always! Including the cat place holder where the photo was unavailable…. 😃

[@Conservator.]

Incredibly niche but equally interesting! 👌

[@MrPoornakumar]

An excellent & insightful article (video) almost like a Technical paper. Yet, none is talking of using Silver in place of Copper, at least along some chosen channels. Resistivity for the first 4 metals are: Al - 25 (1.6778) Au - 20.6 (1.38) Cu - 15.5 (1.04) Ag - 14.9 (1) in appropriate units [ (ρ/Ώ)nm ], to the best of my knowledge (it needs to be updated). Compared Resistivity with Silver as standard, & shown in brackets. Choice of Silver (over Aluminum) improves RC by a factor of (5/3) & thus speed, by the same factor. Of course the improvement with Silver (over Copper) is marginal at 4% only. Yet, Silver is the ultimate, with best machining properties. In RC constant, gaining control over R is do-able, compared to reducing the k-factor (dielectric constant). With a clear goal in front, efforts in cracking RC become smoother (easier). Copper wire with Silver core may be tried. All this costs money necessitating large-scale (bulk) operations.

[@solconcordia4315]

Silver is unlikely to be used at all because room-temperature ambient-pressure (near-STP) superconductors are coming soon. Transductor technology with superconductivity switching will arrive after that with much lower power consumption. It will be a bit similar to the near- complete replacement of NMOS by CMOS. As is often the case, Intel was a technology lagger in the DRAM density area and much of the memory business went overseas (i.e. there was no Intel memory production in the U.S.A. at all.)

[@MrPoornakumar]

@@solconcordia4315 Supercoductivity (of which I know less) takes time, to come. A science has to be matured to Technology, then available across the counter for a price & all that takes time. While we're at it (in "chips")"speed" is the present problem (the wall confronting the community), that needs to be solved. Thank you very much for responding.

[@johnfoster4278]

Did it on their own? Wh 0:04 y were there 20 TSMC engineers at AMD’s sub micron development center for 6 months learning the Cu BEOL that AMD developed with Motorola’s APRDL?

[@SuperCuriousFox]

Nice video, but I feel a little disappointed that you never explained more about the low-k PECVD method at the end. Though you got pretty close by mentioning brand names like Black Diamond and references to the PECVD manufacturer like Novellus. I looked into these low-k PECVD layers: it seems to be "carbon doping" an SiO2 layer (while it's being deposited) to obtain SiOCH. There's various precursors that can be used, and making the layers more porous also helps.

[@jasonhemphill8525]

You make among the best quality content on the subject. Not just on KZbin but period. Niche is your strong suit.

[@tdb7992]

I always find it odd how American English speakers say "niche"; anywhere that speaks British English (UK, Australia, etc.) pronounce it "neesh" in-line with its French origin. Thanks for the wonderful video John.

[@OmegaSparky]

Not all American English speakers. I generally hear (and say) "neesh".

[@rnengy]

I guess you could say it’s a niche pronunciation

[@simontist]

"nitsch"

[@mephInc]

We Americans don't know how to say it which is why you see three examples already in your replies. Lol I've always heard/said "neetch".

[@swissarmyknight4306]

@@mephInc I've been American my whole life and this is the first time I've ever heard that word pronounced with a hard consonant at the end. I've never lived or worked in the Pacific Northwest, Northeast, or Midwest, so maybe its said that way in one of those regional dialects.

[@KomradZX1989]

Today I was having a bad pain day. I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta or Brittle Bones and have fractured over 150 times in my life. So I just smoked some thankfully legal weed and got on KZbin and was blessed with a 30+ min Asianometry! Your videos genuinely help me relax and feel better and I just wanted to say thank you for all the work you put into these videos. They are second to none. ❤

[@talkingonthespectrum]

Yoo I have a neurological pain disorder, I'm just about to hit my prescription weed and try to sleep. Stay safe out there

[@Movetheproduct]

Dont care

[@KomradZX1989]

@@Movetheproduct Cared enough to post that you don’t care. That’s objectively a little caring 😂😝

[@hgbugalou]

I now understand why the later pentium 3 chips are code named coppermine.

[@jaapaap123]

Nope. It was too early for those chips to have copper interconnects. See the wikipedia page about the pentium 3 processor, coppermine section.

[@StudSupreme]

I remember the introduction of copper interconnect. At the company where I worked, there was concern about the reactivity of Cu with Si02 and the difficulties posed by the barrier metals at that time - titanium and I think palladium and tungsten, which were all causing problems because they were such hard metals. But that speed pickup from Cu was irresistible. That's also when companies and foundries started to get very interested in better insulators/IMDs like 'Coral.' Interesting that tantalum became the barrier metal of choice.

[@calvinhobbes1617]

Thanks for the video. I was with AMD that time, and we had a good cooperation with Motorola for the copper process. I remember having at the begin a real grazy separation in FEOL and BEOL, production areas ,later it came clear it didn’t need to be that harsh.

[@aclearlight]

No copper etchant? As a chemist that finding sort of intrigues and slightly annoys me. Nitric acid will dissolve Cu, and complementing the solution with some form of low-pKa Cu(II) chelating agent would probably help the reaction along...but then again, I'm sure big research bucks have already gone into searching for an answer.

[@RadioactivePretzels]

This was well researched and well presented. Excellent!

[@OmegaSparky]

IBM's trouble with their lowK process impacted my employer at the time. They ended up moving to TSMC. Also, another unexpected impact of finer pitch interconnects - especially the mid-level long runs - inductance! We ran into cross talk problems causing glitches that would cause latches to pop open when they shouldn't. 🤦

[@diyertime]

Yes, that's why all asics had to get past "noise checks"

[@aaronfrank9649]

TSMC didn’t figure this out. It was done in the USA and handed to them. I know as I was the copper electroplating lead engineer at TI silicon technology development for the first volume production node. We also had low k on that node. We got it to yield and gave them the solution.

[@kayrealist9793]

Hey Jon, great video. Long time sub to your channel. You deserve much more subs. That being said, what are your thoughts on Canon's nanoimprint systems that is suppose to compete with ASML's lithography machines? Would love a video and thoughts on advantages and disadvantages. Keep up the good work!

[@gabrielperezmurillo3583]

Copper is a commodity more scarce than high purity silicon. Additionally, it is forecasted to be highly demanded for other products necessary for the energy transition. How is this going to impact the price of future high tech developments ???

[@hck4798]

This is by far the most insightful video I’ve ever seen about the history of Cu/LK being introduced to the industry. I was lucky in almost all those scenes even they were so painful but finally we went through, and all the way to 50x smaller geometry now.

[@HanSolo__]

15:34 "Sounds complicated and unintuitive? It is. (...) All of this stuff just barely works, man." 😆

[@0neIntangible]

I love his timely, often quite humorous & apt interjections.

[@gaboronem8615]

Please do a RISC V essay please

[@lucasrem]

gaboron RISC V developing stopped 10 years ago, why you still use that ? What processes you still run on RICS in 2023, or are you a Junk rat in Computers ? StrongRisc ?

[@gaboronem8615]

Lol the concept is new to me. Everything i know about semi conductors is from this channel started watching when their was a drought on that island and the chip shortage. I bought Nvidia stock in 2021 because of this channel and i thought i discovered a little known technology that would disrupt the status quo. thanks for sharing the knowledge @@lucasrem

[@SianaGearz]

​@@gaboronem8615that person is trolling you.

[@lucasrem]

@@SianaGearz i was happy people developed on Rick V, i was Archimedes, ARM + Risc But he is clown ?

[@PainterVierax]

@@gaboronem8615 don't listen to that pedant and barely intelligible bozo spamming all over the comment section. Jon covers historical topics, the RV disruption is just happening and there is not much to say outside the wikipedia page and media coverage.

[@dsdy1205]

4:53 "...were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never seen."

[@slaur42]

By the way, in the IBM copper team picture 12:19, that's Lisa Su, second from left.

[@PainterVierax]

omg you're right!

[@xerzy]

absolute chad, glad she went on to become such a powerful figure in the industry

[@WEPayne]

Birds hardly affect resistance but they do add capacitance :)

[@johnarnold893]

😁😁

[@jaykita2069]

Of course, birds aren't real - the drones decrease the resistance of the power line, selectively helping renewable power sources (wind, solar, hot air from right wing talk show hosts).

[@marchlopez9934]

The process of making interconnects, which are wires that transmit electrical signals between transistors and other circuit elements, is essential to the creation of integrated circuits. For over 30 years, interconnects were made using aluminum and silicon dioxide, but the late 1990s marked a transition to copper/low-K interconnects. This transition provided an opportunity for certain companies, such as TSMC, to pull ahead of the rest. Metallization is the process of laying down these interconnects, which occurs after the transistors on the silicon wafer have been made. The metal layers are separated by intermetal dielectric layers, and holes must be cut into these layers to connect multiple metal layers. RC delay, or the extra time for an electric signal to travel through an interconnect, is a challenge in creating interconnects. Resistance and capacitance combine to create RC delay, and local interconnects and global interconnects are necessary for the functioning of microchips. Local interconnects connect local blocks of adjacent elements, and global interconnects span large portions of the chip and deliver necessary signals for chip operation. The thickness and heat resistance of interconnects depend on their placement in the chip and the distance they must cover.

[@TheHilariousGoldenChariot]

Very interesting Jon, niche is good , so few people make these kinds of video essays

[@lucasrem]

Only Mass production is profitable, Why you understand nothing, why moderate posts ?

[@MontegaB]

It's crazy how many developments and innovations there are in semiconductors that practically no one knows about and we all take for granted every day.

[@dakota7430]

do you have a list of sources for this video? In particular I am having trouble finding the Business Next article about the team from tsmc 25:42 thank you and amazing vid btw!

[@mesavor]

the pic of Kowloon walled city reminds me the first video that introduced me to your channel.

[@derekness7900]

It would seem a pretty obvious way to get copper down on a chip would be to use electroless copper deposition. We were using it all the time in the late 70’s in pca manufacturing. You also mentioned that there is no way of etching out copper -ferric chloride! ( although I am sure that there are reasons why it is not applicable-I am not into chip making-I do love these videos-terrific work-keep them coming 😊

[@michaelhart7569]

Seconded. I thought something similar. Also, the copper in my water pipes doesn't easily dissolve in water to cause a toxicity problem. I suspect he is probably referring to soluble Cu+2 salts in the waste stream. I'm not in chip making either (a Chemist) but learn a lot from these videos.

[@bobsmith3983]

Ammonium persulphate.

[@Steven_Edwards]

Oh and I wanted to ask if you have researched anything about the experiments with fabs in space. There are lots of interesting things with growing the crystals in space but I haven't really seen how any of the benefits could be applied. I mean it seems like gravitation when laying down layers is a big problem. If all layers could be deposited in microgravity, then deposition would be completely regular with maybe only quantum irregularities in the materials.

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

I guess in near future, shipping space is still way too expensive for most industry.

[@deansmits006]

I remember i was in high school around this time, and cpu speed drastically increased over the course of several years. Went from 300, 400mhz to 500, 600, 900 and up, so quickly! I wonder if a good amount of it was due to this process.

[@AaronALAI]

So well put together and interesting!!! Wow thanks!

[@D1Trini4u]

“Niche”? Yes. Incredibly informative? Also, Yes. This video essay may well not yield as many likes, or as many the same metrics as other videos, I would offer that the reach and effect of something this “niche”, from such a brilliantly well done other catalogue of videos/topics - may well find future viewers who arrive to the video at their own space/time. To them/then it will be worth it. Keep up the good work!

[@vincentperiolat4610]

I wish i understood this better. I really wish i would have known about this stuff in high school in the 80's. . . Im glad you all understand it. My son's 13900k and 4080 are sure glad too!

[@joshuakirkham9593]

I liked the cat picture. Seriously though, this was incredibly interesting to learn about.

[@lucysluckyday]

I gotta wonder how long it takes to make one of these vids. Must take days to film and edit, but weeks extra for the initial research efforts. Amazing.

[@VEC7ORlt]

Very nice, remember reading about it way back when, now I'm smart enough to understand what exactly were they doing there.

[@AndrewZonenberg]

Where did you get the info about UMC 180nm using copper for lower levels? I have FIB cross sections of UMC 180nm devices that are aluminum on all four layers beyond any doubt: you can see tungsten via plugs, adhesion layers on the top and bottom but no barrier on the sidewalls, upward-pointing sidewalls indicating etching rather than damascene patterning, and a zillion other telltales even without needing to EDS it. It's entirely possible UMC *also* has a 180nm copper technology developed from this tech as a step towards their future 130nm copper technology. But if it exists, I've never seen it.

[@Sam_888]

Seriously impressive video. Really respect the amount of research and effort you put into this.

[@mcoffroadinaz4075]

Great video. Also, without CMP none of the copper work would have rounded the corner. No one remembers the floor polishers that righted the Kawloon Walled City. The ASML hardware for litho was also paramount all the way to today, especially for the latest size battle between the giants.

[@MrPINKFL0YD]

Great video. I'm a layman in the field but found it very interesting. Thanks.

[@uditkotnis7531]

Thanks for citing the papers, they really help in understanding the tradeoffs.

[@JonBrase]

15:53 You don't usually see "TL;DR:" and "Abstract:" quite so close to each other. 🤣

[@Jeremy-fl2xt]

If it is legit, it predates the Wikipedia listed first use of it by almost a decade. I'm pretty sure it's just an easter egg for the pedantic. source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TL;DR Either way, it is amazing. for different reasons, but contemplating it only makes it better. just amazing.

[@chengweicheng]

AMD CEO Lisa Su was working in Copper interconnect in IBM and she was also shown in the photo at 12:29.

[@NathanaelNewton]

I'm not sure what could be too niche, so far every video I've watched in the last few years from you has been captivating 😅

[@TymexComputing]

Very informative - thank you - still got lost between spin-offs and their spin-ins

[@richardnicklin654]

Great stuff. Love the semiconductor stuff. (Ok, so the Al/Cu stuff is conductor stuff - still awesome!)

[@florianmaier104]

Interesting video. What I asked myself for the whole 'copper lenght' of the video was: why copper over silver, I guess the price difference is tiny on end-price of the chips and there is better conductivity and less corrosion danger.

[@lucasrem]

florianmaier104 It's not so hard to understand, you only make money on Mass Producing complex chips ! End Price, what is that, consumers chips, boxed with coolers you need ? Not any high margins on THAT ! If house wife people buy PC, you know they pay too many for it, need a pre installed system, fresh windows key etc, more fancy consumers need it to be.

[@PainterVierax]

corrosion danger is one thing, oxydation is another and maybe silver is more reactive to the ambiant dioxygen. Silver layer also might be harder to deposit, to isolate and then to bond compared to copper. And it requires the same water pollution concern. Adding that to the price of the raw material you talked about, it could make it less practical and harder to scale. Heck! copper is already quite pricey nowadays despite being way more abundant.

[@PaulSpades]

I liked to say that "it needs to be made out of cheap dirt to be dirt cheap" while talking about semiconductors, displays, photovoltaics and batteries. But with all of the new stuff using high tech proprietary compounds and rare minerals, I'm not so sure it applies anymore.

[@simontist]

​@@PaulSpadeswell they're not so cheap anymore.

[@BrassLock]

Your historical report on this copper breakthrough seems like a headline article from an "Investigative Journalist's" 3 year study. I know nothing of these molecular fabrication processes, nor the enormous financial risks big companies take in edging out their competitors (so we can watch yachts racing across our computer monitors). After watching your episode, I feel much better informed about the tiny electronic world I hold in my hands every day. Thank You!

[@nicholasfinch4087]

Lord have mercy! That was a hell of a trip! Didn't even know the semiconductor industry was this crazy! We take it for granted.

[@arthurbrax6561]

crazy. I remember reading back when I was a kid how Nvidia was using top of the line 130nm on the GeForce FX but in the end ATI used 150nm and beat them big time with the Radeon 9700 Pro. As a kid I never knew all the things going on in the background with companies having so much trouble getting to 180 and later 130nm. great video

[@Lucianrider]

Wow that was seriously in-depth! Really well researched!

[@neu1414]

Truly one of your best presented videos so far

[@BhuvaneshPhadnis]

this has to be one of the greatest videos ever uploaded on KZbin.

[@Greg-om2hb]

Vias: “Vee-uhs ” Pitch = line width + line spacing Actually, Black Diamond is the name of the best song from KISS.

[@dannefan_senshi]

The wires resistance is inherent to its area, copper has a base material resistance of 0.175 ohm/mm2 , so thicker wire leads to more resistance not less.

[@willd1mindmind639]

So what innovation came from TSMC at the 130nm node as the Black Diamond technology they were using wasn't their invention?

[@nekomakhea9440]

"I can't find the paper, so here's the citation and a picture of the cat" lol I always enjoy the semiconductor deep lore, every other channel I find on this topic is just "semiconductors are tiny circuits, isn't that neat?!" level general overviews. This is more like a documentary or historical research paper, it's great.

[@marshallb5210]

2:30 missed the opportunity for a bladerunner "interlinked" reference

[@dkgong]

Interesting. I always learn something new about semiconductors from this channel.

[@El.Duder-ino]

Longer but very educative vid. Excellantly explained, thx a lot!

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

How on earth you understand such deep electronics dude? You are brilliant!

[@0neIntangible]

I kinda vaguely recall that he had mentioned in several of his previous videos, that his father has worked somewhere in the industry at some level.

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

@@0neIntangible Yes. But my father worked in pharmaceutical marketing. And I work in Biotech. Related field, yet I got no clue on marketing of any sort. So, in the end its mainly Mr. Jon's brilliance.

[@Socrates21stCentury]

Amazing, what a great history lesson .. well done !!!

[@tinspin]

So since the video stops around 2001, are we to expect that the low-k in current chips is still the same or will there be more videos on this subject? I guess you could squeeze it in with the attempt at power/IO coming from different sides?

[@ntabile]

Motorola previously has a joint venture with Chartered. Along that, CSP produce copper inter connect wafers. That was the rage back then: copper inter connect technology. And how in the world TSMC perfected the copper low k interconnect? Finish the whole video.

[@Linuxhippy2]

is this dr. lisa su on the foto of IBM's copper team? as far as i know she worked on copper interconnects at IBM

[@klauszinser]

Today i read this comment on X (complete different subject): 'By inventing silicon chips, we just tricked sand into thinking. Previously only Carbon had been tricked into thinking, and what a blunder that turned out to be.' On Carbon and thinking i have no real idea, maybe something with humans and animals. But the 1st part is really good.

[@corypride5096]

Thanks for all the research req'd to make such a detailed video.

[@expansivegymnast1020]

This channel is what KZbin was supposed to be.

[@pranavid]

"AMAT: They would use CVD to butter their croissants if they could." gave me chuckles... 😂