February 7, 2006 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — MINNEAPOLIS– FSI International, Inc. (Nasdaq:FSII) today announced that its nickel-platinum strip process, the PlatNiStrip(TM), has been qualified and implemented by several of the world’s largest IC makers for manufacturing 65nm technology devices. FSI’s PlatNiStrip process, designed to provide IC makers with a manufacturing solution for advanced salicide formation, is gaining broader industry adoption.
“A key customer stated they were impressed with our ability to quickly implement the process into their manufacturing line, and as a result they are now using this nickel-platinum strip process to produce 65nm products,” said Don Mitchell, FSI chairman and CEO. “Our continued commitment to offering and quickly inserting advanced process capabilities on existing FSI platforms further strengthens our role as a technology leader and cost-effective partner for our surface conditioning customers.”
IC manufacturers have increased the thermal stability of the nickel silicide film by adding a small amount of platinum. However, conventional means of stripping unreacted nickel are not effective in selectively stripping unreacted platinum, leaving platinum residue on the wafer surface. FSI’s PlatNiStrip process, a point-of-use blended acid solution, can strip both nickel and platinum without residues and with high selectivity to silicide, oxide and nitride, which enables the integration of nickel-platinum silicide.
Fab data shows that customers achieve significant improvements in device performance, including reduced and more tightly distributed resistivity by implementing nickel-platinum with the PlatNiStrip process. This process can be cost-effectively implemented with industry standard chemicals on a standard ZETA(R) Spray Cleaning System.
The ZETA system is designed for FEOL and BEOL 90nm and below, 200/300mm batch spray cleaning. The system uses centrifugal spray combined with versatile chemical delivery technology to prepare chemicals at a controlled concentration and temperature for dispensing directly onto wafers. The ZETA systems are proven for a wide range of applications, including Co and Ni etch for salicide formation, PR strip and post-ash clean, non-megasonic particle removal and wafer reclaim.
FSI International, Inc. is a global supplier of surface conditioning equipment technology and support services for microelectronics manufacturing. Using the Company’s broad portfolio of cleaning products, which include batch and single-wafer platforms for immersion, spray, vapor and CryoKinetic technologies, customers are able to achieve their process performance, flexibility and productivity goals. The Company’s support services programs provide product and process enhancements to extend the life of installed FSI equipment, enabling worldwide customers to realize a higher return on their capital investment. FSI maintains a web site at http://www.fsi-intl.com.
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FSI International, Inc., Minneapolis
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Benno Sand, 952-448-8936