World News
09/01/2000
• WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS
Semi says equipment orders rising more slowly
North American equipment orders are moving more slowly, but they are still moving upward, according to the latest report from Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (Semi). Bookings in June rose to nearly $2.8 billion, up from a revised $2.77 billion in May.
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The booking figure is a 1% rise over the May number and an increase of 79% over the $1.6 billion posted in June 1999. Shipments in June rose to $2.23 billion, up 3% from $2.16 billion in May and 73% over the June 1999 level of $1.3 billion, the trade association said. All figures are three-month moving averages.
The June book-to-bill ratio came in at 1.26, down from a revised 1.28 in May and 1.36 in April.
"While the pace is moderating, orders of semiconductor manufacturing equipment continued an upward trend in June," Semi president Stanley Myers said. He said the industry evidenced "strong sentiment for continued expansion" at Semicon West.
Nine join with ASML on 157nm litho
Nine semiconductor manufacturers have signed on with ASML, Veldhoven, The Netherlands, in partnership with Carl Zeiss and others, to develop 157nm lithography processes. Among the nine companies are Advanced Micro Devices, Infineon, Motorola, Philips, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., and ST Microelectronics.
ASML is hoping to create a 157nm scanning system, capable of handling 300mm wafers, that will exceed the ITRS requirements for the 70nm technology node. Membership in the group will give semiconductor manufacturers a chance to make suggestions about how 157nm exposure systems should be designed, and how this part of the program should focus its efforts. The companies will also get early access to 157nm imaging tools, with the first shipments set for the end of 2003.
• USA
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Companies join forces on SOI smoothing process
Silicon Genesis Corp., and Applied Materials, both of Santa Clara, CA, have signed a deal to commercialize a new process for smoothing silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer surfaces.
The process, which the companies developed together, uses a gas phase treatment combined with an epitaxial deposition process. The companies said that, using an epitaxial deposition system from Applied, they were able to achieve sub-angstrom smoothness and excellent thickness control, even for SOI wafers that started with a roughness of as much as 60 angstroms. The companies are giving a joint paper detailing the process at the IEEE SOI conference in October.
Under the deal, Applied will retain certain exclusive rights to build the equipment for the smoothing process. Silicon Genesis will retain exclusive rights in the field of SOI and cleaved substrates.
In other Applied Materials news:
- The company has signed what its officials are calling a strategic agreement with metrology supplier Therma-Wave. Under the terms of the agreement, Therma-Wave will develop and supply advanced metrology solutions for integration with AMAT's process systems.
- Photolithography equipment manufacturer Ultratech Stepper Inc. and Applied have signed a technology agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Applied will license laser processing technology (LPT) from Ultratech's Verdant Technology Division. Verdant's LPT uses projection optics and short pulse laser technology, which is expected to be used to create contacts and junctions at 0.10mm technologies.
FSI International Inc. and The Dow Chemical Co. have signed an agreement to jointly demonstrate the use of SiLK semiconductor dielectric resins from Dow with copper circuit lines to create a fully integrated dual damascene process. The objective of the joint development program is to create a deliverable process of record using both SiLK resin and copper for the 0.13mm technology node. The work will initially focus on 200mm tools and processes and move to FSI's 300mm platform in the near future.
Brooks Automation, Chelmsford, MA, has bought MiTeX Solutions for an undisclosed sum. MiTeX produces run-to-run (R2R) control technology, which Brooks will add to its integrated advanced process control strategy. The company says that R2R will be important in advanced 200mm facilities and required in 300mm fabs, providing tighter control of wafer uniformity, reduced scrap, increased process capability, and increased product yield.
BOC Edwards, Wilmington, MA, has invested in Pelchem, the chemical division of NECSA, Pelindaba, South Africa, for the construction of a gas production facility. The facility will produce nitrogen trifluoride starting in the 4Q00 and ramp to 250,000 kg/yr in the 1Q01.
Komatsu Ltd.'s Excimer Laser Department, Santa Clara, CA, has completed an argon fluorine deep UV laser source for mass production of silicon wafers. The laser is designed for 193nm lithography and features a high repetition rate, narrow bandwidth, and an original gas mixture for low energy fluctuation. Final testing is underway, and the company expects to begin delivery in the 1Q01.
Air Products and Chemicals, Lehigh Valley, PA, has decided to accelerate a planned expansion of nitrogen trifluoride capacity at its specialty gases facility in Hometown, PA. Citing increased demand for the gas, the company plans to add new capacity to achieve a total of 2.775 million pounds/year of production by spring '02.
LSI Logic Corp., Milpitas, CA, has decided to outsource its ion implantation work to Implant Center, San Jose, CA. Implant Center has acquired LSI's ion implanters and will run them at LSI's Gresham facility until they can be moved to Implant Center's new 50,000ft2 building outside Portland, OR. LSI says the move will free up valuable manufacturing space for advanced communications chips.
The Mask Center of Competency has won a contract from International Sematech, Austin, TX, to produce electron projection lithography masks. The center is a joint venture in photomask fabrication formed last year by IBM, Armonk, NY, and Photronics, Jupiter, FL, and is based at IBM's manufacturing site in Burlington, VT. The agreement will allow the companies to study image placement distortions at the mask level, using different mask substrates, pattern densities, pattern types, and mask layouts.
Recently, Sony said it will increase production of analog (bipolar) ICs to 16,000 wafers/month (in 150mm-wafer equivalents). Additionally, Sony Semiconductor of America, San Antonio, TX, said it also plans to increase production of analog ICs from the 1000 wafers/month level to the 5000 wafers/month level. The company said the increased outputs will be used in computer peripheral equipment
Aetrium Inc. is transferring manufacturing functions performed at the company's San Diego, CA, operation to its North St. Paul, MN, operation. After the transfer is completed, the San Diego operation will focus exclusively on engineering and marketing functions related to the continued development and deployment of Aetrium's DTX series of test handlers. Fewer than 25 positions will be eliminated in San Diego as a result of these actions.
Nanometrics, currently of Sunnyvale, CA, has bought a 133,000 ft2 building in nearby Milpitas. Having outgrown its 35,000 ft2 home, the company plans to move its headquarters to the larger facility. Nanometrics' manufacturing, engineering, service, sales, and finance departments should be moving into the renovated space by the end of the year.
GSI Lumonics, Kanata, Ontario, Canada, has signed a letter of intent to buy a private, California-based company that designs and manufactures precision optics. GSI said it would not name the company until a definitive agreement had been reached, and it did not disclose the terms of the purchase. The purchase will help GSI increase optics for telecommunications from 1% to 10% of its sales in 2001.
Saying their technologies will complement each other to create better chips, IBM, Armonk, NY, and Xilinx, San Jose, CA, have signed an agreement to cooperate on a new generation of processors. IBM will manufacture the devices for Xilinx, using first 0.13mm and eventually 0.10mm designs, with the hope of going to even smaller feature sizes.
Arch Chemicals, Norwalk, CT, has moved its thin film facility in Mesa, AZ, into full production, manufacturing ultra-pure CVD chemicals and delivery equipment for the semiconductor industry. Arch is using the new facility to increase its supply to end-users and OEMs and add to its R&D efforts.
• Japan
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Japan equipment orders continue to rise; worldwide outlook for 2000 seen as rosy
Worldwide orders of semiconductor equipment from Japanese toolmakers rose to 187.1 billion yen (approximately $1.728 billion) in May. That is a 15.5 billion yen increase over the April figure of 171.5 billion yen, and a 111% jump over last May's 88.6 billion yen.
Sales of equipment into the Japanese market, including imports from foreign tool suppliers, totaled 49.75 billion yen. The figure is up from April's 47.5 billion yen, and an increase of 78% over May 1999.
Manufacturers of semiconductor equipment in Japan, the United States, and Europe see a sunny outlook for sales, according to the mid-year consensus forecast released by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (Semi) at Semicon West. Survey respondents are expecting the industry to grow almost 37% in 2000, to $34.5 billion, and another 23% in 2001 to $43 billion.
Seiko Epson, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture, has started construction of a plant at its Toyoshina facility that will manufacture TFD (thin-film-diode) LCD panels. The new seven-story facility will have 73,700 m2 of floor space. The plant is expected to be fully operational by August 2001, with an initial capacity of 1.5 million 2-in. LCDs/month. That number is expected to increase to 4.5 million units/month by 2002.
Dai-Nippon Printing (DNP), Tokyo, and Numerical Technologies, San Jose, CA, have entered an agreement to jointly develop mask data generation and simulation technologies for phase shift masks. The two firms will jointly expand the capabilities of Numerical's "Virtual Stepper" software and implement a DNP phase shift mask manufacturing process.
Sumitomo Metal Indus-tries, Osaka, and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (MMC), Tokyo, have entered a joint venture to construct a 60 billion yen (US$568 million) 300 mm wafer manufacturing plant. The new company, Silicon United Manufacturing Co. (SUMCO), Tokyo, was established in July 1999, and since then has been equally owned by Sumitomo and Mitsubishi. By 2002, the two companies expect initial 300mm wafer production to be 100,000 wafers/month. If demand is strong, company officials plan to double capacity by making an additional investment of 30 billion yen. A 300mm crystal growing facility will be established at Mitsubishi Materials Silicon's (a wholly owned subsidiary of MMC) Yonezawa plant, in Yamagata Prefecture.
Fujitsu AMD Semiconductor Ltd. (FASL) has broken ground at Aizu-Wakamatsu, Japan, for its third megafab for the manufacture of flash memory. Initial production is scheduled for the 2H01, and the fab will eventually have a peak capacity of 7500 8-in. wafers/week. FASL is a joint venture of AMD, Sunnyvale, CA, and Fujitsu Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
• Asia Pacific
Semiconductor foundry Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Singapore, and Conexant Systems, Newport Beach, CA, have signed a memorandum of understanding to enter a five-year manufacturing alliance. Using Chartered's digital and mixed-signal manufacturing technologies, Conexant will develop systems and semiconductor products for communications applications. The companies have had a working relationship for the past nine years.
ATMI Inc. is supplying a major Malaysia semiconductor fabrication plant with its point-of-use gas treatment equipment. Shipments are anticipated during 3Q00. ATMI's CDO point-of-use abatement device is a gas treatment solution for CVD, diffusion, and etch processes. When equipped with the hydrogen injection system option, the CDO is also capable of treating PFC gases — perfluorinated carbon compounds. Metron Technology, Burlingame, CA, helped ATMI win this order by supporting ATMI's sales and service efforts in Malaysia. Metron offers materials, capital equipment, and outsourcing services.
• Europe
Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH & Co. KG, Hanau, Germany, will reorganize its US facility, Heraeus Amersil, in anticipation of a growing demand for quartz glass products in the semiconductor industry. The company will set up two subsidiaries, Heraeus QuartzTech for fabricated quartzware and Heraeus Quartz Inc. for base material and semifinished quartzware. The two will invest more than $15 million in manufacturing space and equipment.
STMicroelectronics, Geneva, Switzerland, has added 33,200 ft2 to its fab in Carrollton, TX. The fab will use the company's submicron BiCMOS process.
Putting all their apps in one chamber
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Lam Research Corp.'s 9400DFM is a high-density plasma poly etch system for devices with design rules of 0.13mm and beyond. It runs multiple advanced silicon applications in the same chamber. See p. 158 for further details.
Improving imaging, productivity with new platform
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Pushing the limits of optical lithography, ASML has introduced a new 300mm platform, TWINSCAN, which meets the market's need for a platform to support mass-production capability on 300mm substrates down to the 70nm ITRS node. For more detail, see p. 157.
Purchase Orders
Nanya Technology Corp. of Taoyuan, Taiwan, has ordered multiple Applied Materials' CVD (chemical vapor deposition) systems for its newest DRAM foundry fab. The purchase includes Ultima HDP-CVD (high-density plasma-CVD) Centura systems and Producer systems to be used for all dielectric film applications in producing advanced DRAM devices. Nanya Technology is a unit of Nanya Plastics, a large Taiwanese PCB maker.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has placed a volume purchase order for 300mm semiconductor manufacturing systems with Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA. Shipments to TSMC's Fab 6 in Tainan, Taiwan, are scheduled to begin this month. The Fab 6 300mm pilot line will be used to evaluate and define the volume manufacturing environment for Fabs 12 and 14, which will be the company's first plants dedicated to 300mm production.
Lam Research Corp. has received an order for Teres CMP/cleaning systems from IMEC of Leuven, Belgium, a developer of advanced processes. IMEC will partner with Lam to jointly develop 100nm STI and copper CMP processes. Teres extends IMEC's successful development partnership with Lam for advanced etch processes. Joint development work will primarily target developing STI and copper CMP processes for first-stage 130nm technology and explore Teres' capabilities for 100nm processing.