Sales & Orders
furnace for its proprietary Atomic Layer CVD (ALCVD) to a customer. The
batch system was installed and qualification of the first process was
successfully completed.
The A4ALD combines technology from ASMs Pulsar single-wafer platform for
ALCVD and its Advance 400 Series vertical furnace. The aim was to create a
cost-effective batch solution targeted mainly for the dielectric capacitor
market.
Situating ALCVD in a vertical batch furnace allows for a higher throughput -
up to 100 wafers can be processed simultaneously. This is beneficial for
thicker layer films, such as the ones used for metal-insulator-metal (MIM)
capacitors.
The shipped A4ALD is also equipped with an in-situ radical generator for
post-process anneal, which results in improved electrical performance. The
Al2O3 process has been fully characterised, with electrical performance
equal to performance of single-wafer ALCVD tools. The next step is
finalising the electrical qualification of Ta2O5 and HfO2.
Batch furnaces will be further developed for 200mm and 300mm wafers. Before
this customer shipment, ASM installed its first A4ALD system in June 2002 in
the R&D line at the European IMEC R&D centre.
Tegal has received an order from a leading Japanese semiconductor
manufacturer for extensive upgrading of an advanced etch system. The upgrade
is needed to meet rapidly expanding production requirements for non-volatile
memory devices based on ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM).
The upgrade is scheduled for installation in July 2003. The deal includes
extensive productivity enhancements to the existing system including
patented technologies for the control of wafer temperatures during etch,
which improves uniformity and delivers tighter process control, and the
addition of a second production chamber.
When completed, the upgraded tool will be transferred into mainstream
manufacturing alongside other Tegal advanced etch systems already being used
in FeRAM production. This customer is one of the earliest companies to
develop and commercialise FeRAM technology.
Another Tegal sale is a repeat order from a Japanese charge-coupled device
(CCD) manufacturer for a model 6510 HRe- etch system. The system is needed
to meet rapidly expanding production requirements for CCD imaging arrays.
The 6510 system is scheduled for installation in June 2003 and includes two
high-density plasma modules configured in a high throughput cluster
platform. The system will be used for critical polysilicon and silicon
nitride etch steps used in the production of the high resolution CCDs. The
first Tegal 6510 HRe- system for CCD production at this fabrication site
came online in 1999 and has been running round the clock ever since.
International SEMATECH has installed a Dimension X3D in-line, 3-D
lithography atomic force microscope (AFM) metrology tool from Veeco
Instruments. International SEMATECHs Lithography and Metrology divisions
will use the Dimension X3D to characterise 90nm and smaller device features
in photolithography and etch applications, including photomask metrology.
With the Dimension X3D, users can take three-dimensional (x, y and z)
in-line measurements of nanometre-scale critical dimensions (CD), such as
shallow trench isolation structures on wafers and optical proximity
correction features on photomasks.
UMC says that it is shipping customer products based on its 90nm logic
process and that it is the first dedicated foundry to announce the delivery
of working customer ICs built on the next-generation technology. UMC
expects to move customer wafers to volume production later this year. Many
of the materials and techniques that were first introduced at the 0.13micron
generation also apply to 90nm, including copper interconnects and low-k
dielectric materials, reports UMC. The 90nm process has up to nine copper
metal layers and triple gate oxide.
Fab Solutions, a US provider of electron beam metrology systems targeting
advanced semiconductor process control, has selected John P Kummer Group
(JPK) as its European sales representative. Fab Solutions technology
enables accurate measurements of bottom width dimension and film
characteristics at the bottom of high aspect ratio contact and via
structures. The tools can also determine if a contact hole is open or
closed. JPK has headquarters in Switzerland and regional sales offices in
Germany, France and the UK.
Japans Sumitomo Corporation has agreed to purchase $100mn worth of Crees
light emitting diode (LEDs) products up to June 2004 subject to end customer
demand and other terms and conditions. Cree and Sumitomo anticipate that the
purchases will cover Crees full line of LED products representing its
standard brightness devices, its MegaBright and other mid-brightness
devices, and its XBright LEDs.
Chuck Swoboda, Crees president and CEO, reports: "This new agreement is
greater than four times last years commitment from Sumitomo and is
indicative of the growth we have experienced in Japan."
The new agreement covers the second year of an existing three-year
distributorship agreement with Sumitomo.
European microsystem supplier HL Planartechnik has selected Electroglas
QuickSilver IIe automated wafer inspection system for use in the production
of its micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices. HL Planartechnik,
located in Dortmond, Germany, manufactures of devices for infrared, mass
flow and temperature sensing.
Jeff Hintzke, vice president of marketing for Electroglas, reports: "The
installation at HL Planartechnik adds to what we believe is the largest
installed base of automated inspection tools in the MEMS industry. HL
Planartechnik has been a great partner to Electroglas, and we are happy we
can contribute to their production of MEMS devices."
HL Planartechnik also has Electroglas EG4/200 and EG 2001 wafer probers, as
well as SORTnet test process management software.
Axcelis Technologies has won a follow-on order from a leading European
chipmaker for its multi-wafer HC3 ultra high current, low-energy ion implant
system. The tool will ship in April 2003 to a 300mm fab. The high current is
designed for high throughput, while the low energy enables the formation of
ultra shallow junctions and other advanced transistor structures. Combining
these two qualities is difficult due to the "space charge effect", where
slow-moving ions repel each other destroying the implantation beam
integrity.
Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer supplier Silicon Genesis Corporation
(SiGen) has secured a blanket order to provide substrates for integrating
single chip optoelectronics into standard silicon chip processing. The
product has already been qualified. SiGen believes the collaboration has the
potential to lead to large wafer volumes from the technology for optically
enabled VLSI products.
Genus has received follow-on orders for its 200mm and 300mm atomic layer
deposition (ALD) systems from a major DRAM manufacturer described by Genus
officials as "the largest DRAM manufacturer in the world". The repeat
business includes orders for Genus StrataGem200 and StrataGem300 ALD
systems.
Osram Opto Semiconductors has assumed all worldwide sales activities for its
opto-semiconductor products from Infineon Technologies, its former joint
venture partner. Osram Opto Semiconductors was founded in 1999 as a joint
venture between Osram and Infineon Technologies. In the summer of 2001,
Osram acquired all Infineons shares in the sale of opto-semiconductors.
ASML claims delivery of the industrys first full-field 157nm step-and-scan
tool to IMEC. IMEC will receive shipment of the Micrascan VII in April 2003.
