World News
04/01/2000
Worldwide highlights
Tool sales hit $1.6B, bookings at $2.2B, says Semi
North American-based semiconductor equipment manufacturers posted a third straight month of record orders in January with a total of $1.6 billion in worldwide shipments, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (Semi) trade association's latest report.
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World book-to-bill (bars) and world front-end utilization (the black line) for Aug. 1999 to Jan. 2000.
Bookings in the month totaled $2.2 billion, up 15% over December 1999 and a staggering 119% above the $997 million posted in January 1999. The shipments figure is 2% above the revised December 1999 level of $1.587 billion, and 82% above the January 1999 shipments level of $890 million. All figures are three-month moving averages.
Semi also reported a January 2000 book-to-bill ratio of 1.34, the highest point in almost five years.
"We are pleased to see the robust order level for equipment," said Semi president Stan Myers. "It confirms the strength of the current market cycle."
Meanwhile, market researcher VLSI Research, San Jose, CA, reported steady growth in its monthly Industry Pulse update. World front-end capacity utilization for January 2000 was 93.8%, a slight gain over December's 1999 figure of 93.2%. Fab activity was on the increase as well, with manufacturers such as Sanyo Electric Co., Intel, and Motorola all increasing production.
Worldwide semiconductor orders reached $12.7 billion in January 2000, with sales totaling $11.3 billion, VLSI said. Both figures are down slightly from December 1999 figures, but VLSI forecasts continued growth in these areas for the entire year.
USA
In an effort to enhance its lithography module control offerings, KLA-Tencor plans to acquire FINLE Technologies, a 10-year-old developer of lithography simulation and data analysis software. Specific terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, however, the two firms had planned to finalize the deal by the end of February. Once the transaction is completed, FINLE, Austin, TX, will become a division of KLA-Tencor, reporting to the company's lithography and films group. FINLE employs about 22 people, and will continue to operate out of its Austin base. KLA-Tencor and FINLE have had an ongoing relationship that dates back nearly a year, when the two firms entered into an OEM agreement under which they launched KLARITY CD, a lithography data analysis tool. Following completion of the transaction, Chris Mack, FINLE president and chief technology officer, will become KLA-Tencor's lithography module solutions chief technology officer.
Corning Inc., Corning, NY, and Photronics, Inc. have entered a two-year agreement to jointly develop advanced photoblanks. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will combine resources to develop assets that will enhance the performance of Photronics' reticles.
Applied Materials logged $2.36 billion in new orders during its first fiscal quarter ending January 30. The company reported record results for the quarter with net sales of $1.67 billion, up 6% from $1.57 billion for the 4QFY99, and up 125% from $742 million for 1QFY99.
The sales figures were higher than most market analyst estimates, and led the company's board of directors to approve a two-for-one split of the company's common stock. "This was our fourth straight record quarter," said James Morgan, chairman and CEO. Morgan added that with the industry undergoing what he termed "the three waves of technology transition," including the move to smaller line widths (0.18¼m and below), copper interconnect technology, and 300mm wafer processing, "There's more potential for growth than at anytime in our history."
In other news, Applied Materials has taken a nonexclusive license on the patent portfolio for the Radiance Process, a laser-based cleaning process developed by Radiance Services, Bethesda, MD. The developmental process has a number of potential wafer fab applications; a 1998 Motorola study funded by the Envir-onmental Protection Agency found promising results for post-CMP cleaning and recommended further investigation; the process was also tried on FPD glass with good success. Donna Bethell, president/ CEO of Radiance, said terms of the Applied deal are confidential, but added that no joint development activities are planned. The deal allows other licensees in the semiconductor manufacturing sector, and Radiance is "actively pursuing other agreements," said Bethell.
BOC Edwards has announced its intentions to acquire tool-cleaning company Kachina Semiconductor Services, Phoenix, AZ. Barring any delays, the deal is expected to be completed in the next four to six months. Neither company would comment on the financial terms of the agreement. Officials from both companies say the deal will expand BOC's existing semiconductor on-site services business, FabMaX. Plans call for combining Kachina's tool component cleaning expertise with BOC's own CO2 parts-cleaning business.
Intel has signed a letter of intent with Rockwell International Corp. to purchase a wafer fab facility in Colorado Springs, CO. Intel will receive two wafer fabs and several outbuildings. The older fab, built in the early 1980s, will be converted into a test and sort facility. The second, built in 1996, will be equipped for manufacturing flash memory and logic components. Intel plans to employ 0.18¼m manufacturing technologies and 200mm wafers at the fab. Prod-uction could begin by the end of the year.
Honeywell Electronic Materials (formerly AlliedSignal), Sunnyvale, CA, approved a $15 million expansion of its Class 1 capable facility, the STAR (Semiconductor Technology and Research Center), scheduled for completion by 3Q00. The expansion includes the purchase and installation of equipment from Applied Materials, JEOL, and Lam Research.
Tru-Si Technologies Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, and LSI Logic Corp. have established a strategic development program that will evaluate Tru-Si's plasma-thinning technology and equipment for use in LSI Logic's chip-scale, flip-chip, and multi chip packaging. Under the terms of the program, both companies will take advantage of engineering and management resources in addressing packaging issues.
The University at Albany Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology plans to begin construction on a new 300mm R&D/pilot manufacturing line shortly. New York state has agreed to a $55 million funding plan to build the facility in Albany. LaMar Hill, the center's director of business development, said the center will look to the industry and financing programs to fund 300mm equipment procurement. Current plans call for the 300mm facility to be initially equipped with patterning, deposition, and etch tooling; an entire suite of equipment to support a full CMOS line will be added in about a year.
Isonics Corp., Golden, CO, will supply ATMI Inc. with Silicon-28 silane so that it can produce isotopically pure silicon and silicon carbide. ATMI is the main contractor for the Office of Naval Research contract titled, "Isotopically Pure Silicon Carbide and Silicon Epitaxial Layer Growth and Characterization." The contract between the two companies is for 12 months and is worth $307,574, with an option to perform additional work for $515,638. Isonics will also work with ATMI to measure the basic properties of the materials.
JAPAN
Nikon i-line stepper subsidiary Tochigi Nikon, Otawara, is expanding its 4500m2 cleanroom by some 30% over the next several months. Tochigi Nikon plans to manufacture 170 i-line steppers next fiscal year, an increase of 40 units over this year. Nikon expects total FY2000 stepper shipments to climb 31%, to 380 units.
Hitachi, Tokyo, will add an additional 15 billion yen to its current fiscal year capital spending. The additional spending will be dedicated to boosting cellular phone IC production at its Takasaki Plant in Gunma prefecture. The funds will also be used to help prepare for 300mm production.
Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo, said its group net after-tax profit for FY99 will total some 16 billion yen, more than eight times higher than last year. Bookings for the October-December 1999 quarter totaled 156.3 billion yen, a record in the firm's history. Bookings for the January-March 2000 period are expected to be in the same range, and total sales for FY99 are forecast to come in at 425 billion yen, up 35% over last year.
NEC, Tokyo, intends to roll out a 0.13¼m CMOS process this month and has a goal of reaching 0.10¼m and 0.08¼m process technologies in the next one to two years. NEC will employ its 0.13¼m CMOS process, dubbed UX4, in its CB-12 cell-based IC offering. NEC is installing 0.13¼m process equipment at its Tsuruoka Plant in Yamagata prefecture. The company expects production capacity to total 6000, 8-in. wafers/month. The Tsuruoka plant opened last October with 0.18¼m processes.
In addition, NEC's new Fab 8, located on Kyushu Island, will house a new 0.13¼m SOC wafer-processing line, which is now slated to begin operations in August. The line will start with an initial capacity of 10,000, 200mm wafers/month, with future levels predicted to be 15,000 wafers/month. NEC said it has an aggressive plan to employ a 0.10¼m process, called UX5, in 2001 and 0.08¼m processes, named UX6, in 2002.
Tosoh Corp., Tokyo, will acquire the operations of Nippon Silica Glass Co. Ltd. (NSG) when it buys a remaining 13% stake in the quartz materials supplier this month. After the deal is completed, NSG will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Tosoh. NSG will become part of the Tosoh Quartz Group umbrella.
ASIA PACIFIC
With year 2000 capital spending plans totaling $3.7 billion, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) said it plans to construct a 300mm pilot line in its Fab 6 in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park in southern Taiwan. Work has already started to establish the line at the fab, but the company spokesperson declined to say when it would be operational. TSMC's first volume 300mm fab is scheduled to begin production in early 2002. The US$2 billion, 300mm fab will pilot run with 0.15/0.13¼m process technologies, and then evolve to 0.1¼m. The total capacity will reach 25,000, 300mm wafers/month.
Winbond said it will invest 230 billion Taiwan dollars (about US$7.49 billion) in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park in southern Taiwan over the next eight years. Winbond officials say the funds will be used for advanced DRAM production, and local press reports indicate that two 300mm fabs are included in the plans.
STEAG MicroTech GmbH (SMT), a Germany-based supplier of advanced wet processing equipment, and K.C. Tech, Seoul, Korea, a manufacturer of standard wet processing applications, have formed a joint venture company. It will concentrate on manufacturing, installing, and servicing select SMT products to the Korean semiconductor market. The new company will be headquartered in K.C. Tech's new cleanroom facility in Anseong, South Korea.
Cabot Corp's Microelectronics Materials Division, Seoul, Korea, was to begin construction in February on a new 20,000ft2 CMP logistics facility in Korea. The facility is scheduled to be completed this year. The Korean site is located in Kyereuk-ri, Miuany-myun, Asung City in the Kyuggi-Do Province.
Despite formal backing from foundry heavyweights TSMC and UMC, Taiwan's Electronic Research Service Organization (ERSO) is moving on plans to spin out its deep submicron project to form the Advanced Semiconductor Technology Research Organization (ASTRO), a new Sematech-like consortium on the island. Current estimates call for the project to kick off this summer.
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Genda Hu, general director of ERSO and president of Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry Association, said the annual budget for ASTRO is still being worked out, but the startup budget is estimated to be in the US$12 million to $20 million range. ASTRO will have six members, including Winbond, Nanya Technology, Mosel Vitelic, Powerchip Semiconductor, and ProMOS Technologies.
EUROPE
In a move designed to add copper deposition to its offering mix, STEAG Electronic Systems AG, Pliezhausen, Germany, said it will acquire CuTek Research, a San Jose, CA, electroplating equipment startup. CuTek president Chui Ting, who cofounded the company nearly three years ago, says the acquisition will allow his firm to benefit from STEAG's larger infrastructure and customer base. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Current plans call for CuTek to become a wholly owned subsidiary of STEAG, with the firm continuing to operate out of its San Jose base.
New Foup
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At Semicon Europa, INCAM Solutions, Grenoble, France, will show its FOUP for ONE 300, a production-integrated, single-wafer carrier for the conditioning and management of monitor wafers and mini-batches in 300mm fabs. For more on this innovation, see EuroFocus, p. 30, and Product News, p. 99 (see print edition).
Clarification
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An SST feature in February 2000, "Birefringence in fused silica and CaF2 for lithography," p. 77, showed an incorrect image for Figure 3c. It should have appeared as the below: