Dec. 9, 2002 – Petaluma, CA – Tegal Corp. has completed the first phase of a joint development project with STMicroelectronics (ST), Geneva, Switzerland, an IC manufacturer.

The completed portion of the project demonstrated process leadership in Cobalt Silicide (CoSi) gate etch and ferroelectric material etch development, the companies said. The second and final phase of the project, which is currently underway, is targeted at developing additional CoSi and ferroelectric etch processes for new IC requirements.

Expected to be completed by the end of this year, phase two is also targeted at the development of other etch processes for hard-to-etch materials.

In addition to the joint development project, ST has purchased Tegal’s 6500-2RS system for use in process R&D at the company’s facility in Catania, Sicily.