April 9, 2012 — Barclays Capital compiled its 2011 analysis of semiconductor wafer fab equipment (WFE) spending, with a look at the top players and underlying trends by process step. Here, CJ Muse looks at trends in wafer cleaning, such as single wafer and bevel clean.
In 2011, spray clean’s intensity (% of total WFE spending) climbed from ~2.4% in 2007 to 5.8%, a record high for the segment. Single-wafer spray clean holds a 99% share of the market, as chip complexities are driving single-wafer cleaning to maintain yields.
As edge yields become ever more important for various chip manufacturers, the bevel clean market is poised to grow.
For information on the top players in this market (Lam’s single wafer clean share, etc), read Wafer fab equipment leaders in 2011 and expectations for 2012
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