US Slow on 300-mm; asia memory houses sen setting the tempo

11/01/1996

US slow on 300 mm;Asia memory housesseen setting the tempo

Fear of commitment among US chip manufacturers was the tone established at the recent SEMI New England Breakfast Forum, which updated the progress toward 300-mm wafer acceptance.

Although more and more US equipment companies are developing 300-mm technology, no chipmakers have committed to actual purchase orders, according to SEMI. This hesitation apparently has not struck memory manufacturers in Japan, where 300-mm tools have been ordered for shipment into 200-mm fabs for pilot line operations, said Ron Horwath, SEMI 300-mm special programs director, during his presentation.

In all of its extensive surveying, SEMI has yet to hear of any signed purchase order being placed for 300 mm by an American company. Although beta tests are being done, there have been no commitments other than handshakes and verbal agreements. "Commitment means different things for different companies," said Horwath, who acknowledged that some companies that may actually have orders could be gagged from talking about them.

"They`re all keeping very quiet," said SEMI vice president of North American operations Tom Reed. "There are several companies saying they`re doing more than they really are, and lots of companies doing a lot more than they`re saying. It`s a race to come in second. No one wants to build the first factory, because they`ll be working through the bugs on everyone`s equipment."

"The Japanese consortium SELETE is certainly better funded than I300I," commented Reed. He added that memory manufacturers are the most interested in 300-mm conversion, so there will be more activity in Korea and Japan.

In other 300-mm news, PRI Automation Inc., Billerica, MA, has developed an intra tool buffer (ITB) solution for 300-mm

process tool suppliers. The ITB buffers work-in-process within process tools, and loads/unloads wafer carriers to and from PRI`s new 300-mm door-opening load port. The solution offers end users increased tool utilization and throughput, lot tracking, and empty carrier storage. Eaton Semiconductor Equipment Operations, a maker of ion implantation equipment, and STEAG MicroTech GmbH, a supplier of wet process equipment, are the first OEMs to integrate the ITB for semiconductor manufacturing.- L.S.