Counterpoint Conversations: Akara – Next Gen Etching Tech for a New Era of Semiconductors

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Jun 6, 2025

In the latest episode of Counterpoint Conversations, Ross Young, VP at Counterpoint Research, speaks to Gowri Kamarthy, VP at Lam Research. They discuss some of the challenges of 3D chipmaking and how Akara®, Lam’s latest conductor etch tool, is helping chipmakers scale the production of advanced devices. Akara is the most sophisticated conductor etch tool available. It is a generational leap forward in conductor etch capabilities for shaping small, complex structures for the 3D era of chips.

The Interview

Key Takeaways from the Discussion

Challenges in 3D Chipmaking for Etch

  • All major device types (logic, DRAM, NAND) are shifting or have shifted to 3D structures.

  • Key challenges include shrinking lateral dimensions and increasing vertical height of structures.

  • Higher aspect ratios in advanced nodes make the etch process more complex. Logic devices may have aspect ratios in the tens while 3D NAND, with its taller structures, features aspect ratios in the hundreds.

  • Angstrom-level precision is required to create small, high aspect ratio features – beyond the current capabilities of mainstream plasma etch technologies.

Lam's Approach to Solving These Challenges

Lam introduced Akara, a breakthrough innovation in plasma etch that delivers the unmatched precision and performance needed for 3D chipmaking.

Akara enables the scaling of gate-all-around (GAA) transistors and 6F2 DRAM and 3D NAND devices, and is extendible for 4F2 DRAM, complementary field effect transistors (CFET), and 3D DRAM. It features three proprietary technologies:

  • DirectDrive®: As the industry’s first solid-state plasma source, DirectDrive® responds to changes in plasma conditions 100x faster than existing plasma sources.

  • TEMPO: This advanced plasma pulsing technology provides control over plasma species to deliver new levels of etch selectivity and microloading performance.

  • SNAP: Leading-edge ion energy control shapes etch profiles with atomic precision. Akara builds on the legacy of Kiyo®, Lam’s long-time industry-leading etch solution that has supported the transition from 130nm to 2nm gate-all-around structures.

Ease of Adoption for Manufacturers and Industry Impact:

  • Akara is the most advanced conductor etch tool available with a generational leap forward in capabilities.

  • It joins Lam's differentiated product portfolio that empowers chipmakers to overcome the industry's hardest scaling challenges.

  • Leading semiconductor manufacturers have Akara in production and have validated its value with repeat orders.

Analyst Take

  • Atomic-level precision is critical to overcome the industry's most difficult scaling obstacles as nodes shrink to 2nm and below.

  • We expect this transformative solution to enable emerging memory and logic stacks including 1,000-layer NAND, 4F2 DRAM, and advanced GAA/CFET logic – all essential for supporting AI, edge and cloud at unprecedented scale and efficiency.

Summary

Category

CP Conversations

Published

Jun 6, 2025

Author

Team Counterpoint

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