June 20, 2007 –- IMEC, the independent nanoelectronics research center in Leuven, Belgium, has ordered Akrion Inc.‘s 300mm single-wafer surface preparation system, Velocity. IMEC will use the 4-chamber Velocity to develop and test new back- and front-end-of-line process recipes for IC device manufacturing at the 32 nm technology cycle.
Velocity uses stacked process chambers to minimize footprint. It offers 300mm factory automation compliance and a range of advanced technologies focused on the use of controlled physical forces to minimize physical damage while providing effective cleaning. Available subsystems include Goldfinger megasonics, JetStream and JetStream-Nano spray technology, and Sahara surface-tension-gradient dryers.