Semicon West: Attendees choose
09/01/2003
For the first time, attendees at the Semicon West exhibition and conference in July got to choose the best products in three different categories as Solid State Technology (SST) debuted the first annual Attendees' Choice Awards at the show.
SST's Attendees' Choice Awards competition was launched to recognize outstanding new products that are exhibited at Semicon West. Each exhibiting company had an opportunity to submit one product for review in SST's special WestWorld supplement, which was distributed at Semicon. Attendees' Choice Award ballots were included in the WestWorld supplement, and were also distributed at both the San Francisco and San Jose portions of the show. Each ballot listed all products contained in WestWorld, and ballot space was also allotted for write-in votes.
Only show attendees were eligible to vote in this competition. Separate voting was conducted at the wafer-processing portion of the show in San Francisco, and the final manufacturing portion in San Jose. Awards were made in three separate categories for each portion of Semicon West — "best solution to a problem," "most innovative," and "best cost-of-ownership."
The WestWorld Attendees' Choice Awards will be held annually at Semicon West.
Winners of the 2003 Attendees' Choice Awards
Wafer Processing, Semicon West (San Francisco)
Best solution to a problem
KLA-Tencor's eS30 e-beam inspection system. The eS30 overcomes electrical defects in the production process, providing chipmakers with electrical defect monitoring strategies for high-volume production, which increases yields and ROI.
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Most innovative product
The 302 wafer inspection tool from Negevtech Inc. The 302 features novel "Step&Image" technology that enables the tool to detect critical defects at sizes below 50nm at high throughput.
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Best cost-of-ownership
The Talon robot processing system from Brewer Science. The Talon MEMS-configurable, multistation coat-develop, multiaxis robot processing system can be customized with up to five processing stations and up to 200mm substrates.
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Final Manufacturing, Semicon West (San Jose)
Best solution to a problem
Double-sided probing station from The Micromanipulator Co. This probing station can handle both front and back sides of a wafer simultaneously, and is for emission microscopy, optical device characterization, and MEMS analysis.
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Most innovative product
The S600DC/RF APT parametric test system from Keithley Instruments. This system is a single-insertion DC/RF parametric test solution that, when used with a suitable test structure layout, can execute independent DC and RF tests in parallel on separate probes, reducing the time and cost of testing advanced devices.
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Best cost-of-ownership
Amkor Technology's RF tester. The RFT is an RF-only test system designed to address high-volume RF test requirements at low cost. Amkor has developed RF test techniques and methods that shorten test development time while maintaining required test coverage and accuracy.
WestWorld Attendees' Choice Awards
The winners in the Wafer Processing category
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Best Solution To A Problem: KLA-Tencor's e-beam inspection system combines speed and sensitivity
The eS30 e-beam inspection system provides the throughput and production worthiness required for electrical line monitoring. The eS30 combines speed, sensitivity, and ease-of-use into a single platform for all phases of the IC technology lifecycle, enabling chipmakers to reap gains in yield and fab ROI. Significant reductions in tool overhead, including wafer loading and set-up time, coupled with faster scanning speed and ease-of-use enhancements, effectively triple the throughput of the eS30 compared to the manufacturer's eS20XP system to enable whole-wafer, high sensitivity inspection in under an hour for many applications. KLA-Tencor, San Jose, CA; ph 408/875-0024, [email protected], www.kla-tencor.com.
Most Innovative Product: Negevtech's Wafer inspection tool offers high sensitivity
The Negevtech 302 is a wafer inspection tool designed for entry at the 90nm level with extension to the 65nm level and beyond. The tool is a high-resolution brightfield imaging system that provides high sensitivity and throughput, as well as significant improvement in cost of ownership. The core technology of the 302 is Step&Image, a 2D imaging concept that is very different from the current linear CCD brightfield inspection technology. The 302 inspection tool can detect critical defects of sizes below 50nm at a throughput considerably higher than existing brightfield systems. Negevtech, Santa Clara, CA; ph 408/486-9831, [email protected], www.negevtech.com.
Best Cost-of-Ownership Product: Brewer Science Robot processing system
The Talon's MEMS-configurable, multistation coat/develop, multiaxis robot processing system is customizable with up to five processing stations and up to 200mm substrates. It has an ETFE polymer-coated spin bowl with 0-6000rpm spin range and repeatability of ±5rpm with 1.0 resolution. Brewer Science, Rolla, MO; ph 573/364-0300, [email protected], www.brewerscience.com.
The winners in the Final Manufacturing category:
Best Solution to a Problem: The Micromanipulator Co. Inc.'s Front and backside wafer probing station
This double-sided probing station can probe the backside and front side of the wafer simultaneously, front side only, or back side only. The ..station is designed for emission microscopy, optical device characterization, and MEMS analysis. The 8000 series probe stations are designed for 200mm wafers; the 9000 series stations for 300mm wafers. Existing probe stations can be returned to the manufacturer to be retrofitted to accommodate the wafer carrier frame. The Micromanipulator Co. Inc., Carson City, NV; ph 775/882-2400, www.micromanipulator.com.
Most Innovative Product: Keithley Instruments's Parametric test system offers DC/RF wafer testing
The Model S600DC/RF APT system is a single-insertion DC/RF parametric test solution that can be used to assure reliability in product designs and processes by measuring critical device parameters during development, characterization, and production. When used with a suitable test structure layout, the system can execute independent DC and RF tests in parallel on separate probes, greatly reducing the time and cost of testing advanced devices. DC and RF measurements can be made up to 10Ghz for applications such as device modeling, process monitoring, and general analysis of complex signals. The system is compatible with both 200mm and 300mm probers. Keithley Instruments, Cleveland, OH; ph 888/534-8453, [email protected], www.keithley.com.
Best Cost-of-Ownership Product: Amkor Technology's Radio frequency tester
The radio frequency tester (RFT) is a high-reliability, low-cost rf-only test system designed and built to address high-volume rf test requirements at low cost. This company has also developed rf test techniques and methods that shorten the test development time while maintaining the required test coverage and accuracy. This combination provides the chipmaker with shorter test development cycles. The RFT is designed for low-pincount, high-performance rf devices and can perform both continuous wave and pulsed measurement. Amkor Technology, Chandler, AZ; ph 480/821-5000 ext 5860, [email protected], www.amkor.com.
How Products Were Chosen:
Solid State Technology invited Semicon West attendees to vote on the most valuable products they saw at the trade show, which took place from July 14 to 16 at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center and from July 16 to 18 at the San Jose Convention Center.
Using the WestWorld supplement as a guide to the show products, they voted on three categories of outstanding products, both in San Francisco -- Wafer Processing -- and in San Jose -- Final Manufacturing:
Best Solution to a Problem
Most Innovative Product
Best Cost-of-Ownership Product
Ballots were available in the WestWorld supplement, which was distributed at the show. Companies with a new product listing in WestWorld appeared on the ballot; there was also a space included for write-in votes.
Ballots were dropped off at Solid State Technology's San Francisco and San Jose booths, where winners were announced on July 16 and July 18, respectively.