March 5, 2001–Beverly, Massachusetts–Axcelis Technologies, Inc. has integrated its patented decaborane source technology onto a conventional ion implantation system and successfully implanted device wafers. Decaborane, a molecule containing ten boron atoms, provides the equivalent of a ten-fold increase in beam current at one-tenth the energy. Axcelis’ decaborane source provides a viable path for extending the technology of ion implantation.

“To align our technology capabilities with the increasingly aggressive ITRS roadmap, our scientists and engineers have delivered another innovative ion source technology, enabling the industry to extend conventional implantation systems to the 70nm technology node, projected for pilot manufacturing around 2005,” says John Poate, Axcelis’ chief technology officer. “We expect that this type of technology can be extended to other nontraditional dopant species that may be required for future implant applications.”

Axcelis’ decaborane source technology incorporates design features that sustain the ionization of the molecular species decaborane. Merging the technology with a high-current ion implant system retains the benefits of mass resolution for beam purity and accurate dose control, cornerstones to manufacturing the most advanced ICs. At the same time, the decaborane source technology provides an alternative means of aligning the technology of ion implantation with the future low-energy requirements for shallow junction formation.

Device wafers were produced in collaboration with Agere Systems. The device performance data showed equivalent performance characteristics to conventional low-energy implants. “These results confirm the potential of decaborane as a viable technology for manufacturing ultra-shallow p-type junctions in silicon,” reports Dale Jacobson, Agere’s senior member technical staff.

March 5, 2001–Phoenix, Arizona–Rodel Inc., an innovator of integrated materials for the microelectronics industry, has completed an agreement with Eternal Chemical Co. Ltd. to distribute and market Eternal Chemical’s advanced copper CMP slurry solutions. Eternal Chemical, a leading chemical company in Taiwan, will use Rodel’s market channel to the global semiconductor industry and customer support infrastructure to bring its copper slurry products to the marketplace.

“This partnership offers global semiconductor manufacturers access to a copper slurry solution currently in production at a major manufacturer in Taiwan,” says Joan Koppenbrink, Rodel’s vice president of corporate marketing. “With the variety of copper integration schemes currently in practice, Eternal Chemical’s products complement Rodel’s current portfolio of copper CMP pads, slurries, fixed abrasives, and reactive liquids. We see this partnership as a ‘win-win-win’ for Eternal Chemical, for Rodel, and our customers.”

“In this up-most competitive environment of electronic industries, it is an honor to have the opportunity to work with a major player like Rodel. Through this partnership, we are aiming to become a key provider in the semiconductor industry,” says Allen Kao, president of Eternal Chemical.

March 5, 2001–Midland, Michigan–Dow Chemical Co. today announced a breakthrough in the development of SiLK semiconductor dielectric resin for 100nm chip designs and beyond, achieving a viable ultra low-k material with k=2.0. The porous, spin-on film will enable the continued miniaturization of ICs to improve their speed and performance.

Dow reports that the mechanical properties of SiLK have performed well in various evaluations–including CMP of bulk films–exhibiting two to three times the toughness of competitive materials with a comparable dielectric constant.

“Chipmakers are already looking to low-k materials for 100nm device production because extendibility is a decisive factor in their material choice at 130nm,” says Mark McClear, business director of Dow’s Semiconductor Fab Materials group. “Process technology must be extendible to multiple device generations to maximize chipmakers’ return on investment. With this research breakthrough, Dow fulfills its commitment to our customers and the rest of the industry that SiLK resin can transition forward over the next several technology nodes.”

Sample films of the new resin will be available for testing and process module development during 2Q01. Dow also expects to begin commercial production of the material later this year.

March 5, 2001–Chaska, Minnesota–Entegris, Inc. has completed the acquisition of Nisso Engineering Co. Ltd.’s (NSE) fluid handling component product line for $10.375 million in cash. NSE is a leading semiconductor OEM and fluid handling component manufacturer located in Tokyo, Japan.

“With the acquisition of the Nisso fluid handling product line, Entegris continues to expand its portfolio of high quality materials integrity management solutions,” says Jim Dauwalter, Entegris’ chief executive officer. “It fits well with our long-term strategy for growth in Japan and Southeast Asia. Entegris not only gains a well-established Japanese product offering, but increased Japanese manufacturing capabilities as well.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Entegris will purchase the complete interest of NSE’s component product lines including pumps, valves, fittings, distribution rights of level sensors and other related intellectual property rights. In addition, Entegris will also purchase MI Techno, NSE’s pump manufacturing company. Within 1 year, all NSE product manufacturing components will be transferred to MI Techno.

“Entegris is committed to delivering innovative fluid handling solutions to our growing list of customers in Japan,” says Frank Sidell, president of Entegris’ fluid handling group. “By establishing a direct, local manufacturing presence for fluid handling products, we are making a strong statement about our commitment to our Japanese customers and to leading prospects in the region.”

March 5, 2001–San Jose, California–Worldwide sales of semiconductors totaled $16.87 billion in January 2001, an increase of 13.7% over $14.84 billion a year ago, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. On a sequential basis, January sales dropped 5.7% below the December 2000 level of $17.89 billion.

“The industry is currently experiencing lower sales due to an inventory overhang and deceleration in the end-equipment markets,” explains SIA President George Scalise. “Current forecasts suggest the inventory adjustment will be completed by the end of the third quarter, and end-market product demand will improve later in the year.”

The factors causing the decelerating sales are reflected in each semiconductor product sector and in every geographic region. Compared to January 2000, the Japanese market grew 23.2%; the European market rose 14.6%; the Asia/Pacific market gained 2.9%; and the Americas market increased 15.4%.