black diamond

**Black Diamond™** is **Applied Materials' proprietary brand name for their carbon-doped oxide (SiCOH) low-k dielectric film** — deposited using PECVD and tunable across a range of dielectric constants ($kappa = 2.5-3.0$) depending on the carbon content and porosity. **What Is Black Diamond?** - **Product Line**: Black Diamond (BD) and Black Diamond II (BD-II, porous ULK version). - **Tool**: Deposited on Applied Materials' Producer® PECVD system. - **$kappa$ Range**: BD ($kappa approx 2.7-3.0$), BD-II ($kappa approx 2.2-2.5$). - **Precursor**: Organosilicon compounds (trimethylsilane family). **Why It Matters** - **Market Leader**: Black Diamond is the most widely deployed low-k film in high-volume manufacturing. - **Integration**: Optimized for compatibility with Applied Materials' etch and CMP equipment ecosystem. - **Name Recognition**: "Black Diamond" is almost synonymous with "low-k dielectric" in the semiconductor industry. **Black Diamond** is **the brand name of the industry's go-to low-k dielectric** — the insulating film running between the copper wires in most of the world's advanced processors.