Everything You Need to Know About VECTOR® TEOS 3D

• TEOS 3D delivers high-quality, void-free thick dielectric film deposition for advanced packaging
• Its proprietary clamping technology handles challenging high-bow wafers

Advanced packaging is no longer optional, it's essential across the semiconductor industry in the race to innovate next-generation chips. As GPUs and HBM stacks grow more complex to pack in more transistors, traditional solutions are increasingly falling short.

Typically, progress in the semiconductor industry is measured as thinner/smaller structures, but advanced packaging strays from this convention: Chipmakers are seeking ways to make films thicker as they stack dies higher and higher.

The challenge: For chipmakers to scale devices vertically and horizontally, they need dielectric gapfill thick enough to fill the spaces between stacked dies for structural, thermal, and mechanical integrity.

VECTOR® TEOS 3D is Lam's breakthrough deposition tool engineered specifically for advanced packaging that reliably delivers ultra-thick films (i.e., dielectric gapfill films up to 60-µm in thickness) and excels at processing thick wafers with high bowing characteristics.

• Why it matters: TEOS (pronounced "TEE-oss") 3D solves major production challenges of advanced packaging for the 3D chips used in AI, high-performance computing, and gaming, namely by minimizing cracks and voids in thick dielectric gapfill films and handling high-bow wafers-a major issue in 3D integration.

Read the press release about TEOS 3D

Watch the YouTube video about TEOS 3D

VECTOR® TEOS 3D is installed at leading logic and memory fabs around the world.

TEOS 3D's Ability to Produce Ultra-Thick Films

TEOS 3D's standout feature is its ability to deposit ultra-thick dielectric films up to 60-µm thick, with scalability to produce films that are 100-µm and thicker. It deposits these specialized dielectric films between dies with nanoscale precision.

It is also the first solution for single-pass processing of crack-free films that are more than 30-µm thick, significantly enhancing yield and process time.

• Why it matters: Film cracks and voids can destroy finished dies that are each worth tens of thousands of dollars.

High Productivity, Reduced Defects in Advanced Packaging

VECTOR TEOS 3D is built on Lam's quad station module (QSM) architecture that features four distinct stations to enable parallel processing and reduce bottlenecks, with tool throughput nearly 70% faster¹ compared to Lam's previous generation of gapfill solutions.

• Why it matters: The high throughput due to the modular design helps improve the cost of ownership up to 20%.

Other key productivity features that differentiate TEOS 3D include:

• A large chamber design that reduces plasma deposition on walls, lowering defects and extending part lifetimes. Due to the large chamber, multiple batches can be run before a cleaning cycle is needed.
• Ringless wafer transfer to minimize contact and reduce handling defects.
• Integrated Equipment Intelligence® that drives yield improvement by using smart technology to monitor processes, fix issues faster, and automate routine tasks.

Wafer Clamping Technology for High Bow Applications

Advanced packaging uses thick wafers and often combines silicon with glass substrates. These materials respond differently to thermal cycles and contribute to bowing. Handling bowed wafers is notoriously difficult.

Lam's innovative clamping technology and optimal pedestal design provide exceptional stability when processing thick wafers for uniform film deposition-even when dealing with extreme wafer bow.

Lam Research Leads the Way in Advanced Packaging Solutions

VECTOR TEOS 3D complements and builds on Lam's decades of expertise in dielectric films and comprehensive product portfolio of advanced packaging solutions that help tackle our customers' most complex challenges. From plating to etch, advanced packaging requires extreme precision at each step of the chipmaking process. Lam leverages our leadership in etch and deposition to deliver best-in-class products that meet our customers' requirements with unmatched precision and performance.

Lam's advanced packaging portfolio includes:

• SABRE® 3D electrochemical deposition, used to create packaging interconnects with industry leading uniformity and productivity;
• Striker® Oxide atomic-layer deposition for highly conformal isolation oxide film;
• Syndion® plasma etch for structure formation with smooth, repeatable profiles at fast rates;
• Dextro™, Lam's industry-first cobot that automates in-fab maintenance with a high degree of efficiency and quality;
• Equipment Intelligence sensor-driven predictive maintenance and performance monitoring for process repeatability; and many more.

¹ Based on Lam Research internal testing.

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Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this article that are not of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to, but are not limited to: industry trends, demands, expectations and requirements; the requirements of our customers; and the capabilities and performance of our products. Some factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include: business, economic, political and/or regulatory conditions in the consumer electronics industry, the semiconductor industry and the overall economy may deteriorate or change; the actions of our customers and competitors may be inconsistent with our expectations; trade regulations, export controls, tariffs, trade disputes, and other geopolitical tensions may inhibit our ability to sell our products; supply chain cost increases, tariffs and other inflationary pressures have impacted and may continue to impact our profitability; supply chain disruptions or manufacturing capacity constraints may limit our ability to manufacture and sell our products; and natural and human-caused disasters, disease outbreaks, war, terrorism, political or governmental unrest or instability, or other events beyond our control may impact our operations and revenue in affected areas; as well as the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the documents filed or furnished by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including specifically the Risk Factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 29, 2025. These uncertainties and changes could materially affect the forward-looking statements and cause actual results to vary from expectations in a material way. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information or statements made in this article.