DuPont Photomasks, Inc. announces strategic alliance
Round Rock, TX–DuPont Photomasks, Inc. (DPI) has announced a technology venture with three key semiconductor manufacturers: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Micron Technology, Inc., and Motorola, Inc. The purpose of the venture is advanced photomask technology development and pilot line fabrication of leading-edge photomasks, the high purity quartz plates with precision images of ICs used as masters to optically transfer circuit images onto wafers. The venture, a limited liability company called the DPI Reticle Technology Center (RTC), will build, equip and operate a $40 million freestanding facility next to the existing photomask plant DPI currently operates in Round Rock, Texas. According to the company, the merger will create a focal point for the design, development and testing of new equipment platforms and advanced materials. RTC will follow the model of other collaborative research efforts and focus on deep sub-micron (below 0.35 µm) design rules for photomasks, as well as multiple types of phase shift masks and masks with aggressive optical proximity correction features. The RTC facility will contain 5,500 ft2 of cleanroom space housed in a 17,000 ft2 building. Two pattern generators–an ALTA 3000 and a MEBES 4500–are planned, along with advanced processing inspection, metrology, repair and cleaning equipment.