ESPRIT's Semiconductor Equipment Assessment Initiative
10/01/1997
Lorraine Savage, Associate Editor
The European Union's Semiconductor Equipment Assessment (SEA) initiative has established strategic links between European equipment manufacturers and semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Launched in early 1996 by ESPRIT, the EU's information technology R&D program, the SEA has $40 million in funding, and 25 projects are currently under way (see figure). SEA is ensuring that new, state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing equipment meets all the requirements and standards of mainstream users and improves market opportunities for participating equipment suppliers.
Jeff Bruchez, director of SEA dissemination activities, based at the SEA Office, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in the UK, commented, "The business, financial, and technology trends in our industry necessitate an ever increasing demand for global cooperative alliances between equipment manufacturers and users."
SEA has established a network of semiconductor equipment sites (or nodes) to evaluate prototype and pilot production equipment for processes and new applications. SEA is also demonstrating European 300-mm equipment. The goal is to disseminate the results of the assessments and demonstrations to potential industrial users worldwide.
Funding for SEA is exclusively from the EU through ESPRIT. "In SEA projects," said Bruchez, "up to 100% of the cost of the equipment to be assessed and 100% of specified reimbursable costs are met. However, the overall funding per node does not exceed 50%."
Proposals and assessment
Equipment under assessment through SEA is evaluated at industrial user sites, mainly IC manufacturers or industrial research centers. Suppliers install the equipment and provide on-site support and equipment improvements required to meet the users' manufacturing objectives. Each project is driven by at least two industrial users that provide specifications and metrics in accordance with their production requirements. They all participate in the assessment and provide feedback to the suppliers.
A proposal initiates the process. Bruchez explained: "The proposal is based on the features of the equipment to be evaluated, such as innovative aspects, capability, target specs. An important aspect of the proposal is the capability of the node, such as a fab. The process the fab is running is also important since it dictates the level of process sophistication at which the equipment will be evaluated. These points, together with the associated user partner contributions are assessed together with the proposed workplan to evaluate the strength of the proposals."
He added, "The proposal is submitted by the node on behalf of all the partners. The node can be either an indigenous European manufacturer/industrial research center, or an inward investing IC manufacturer with a facility based in Europe. Any IC manufacturer worldwide can participate as one of the user partners. All proposals are evaluated, normally by three independent experts against standardized selection criteria. Selection is then made based on conformance with the ESPRIT call for SEA proposals, quality of the proposal, and balanced overall SEA program."
SEA projects
Currently, 25 SEA projects are being run in the fields of hot processes, lithography, metrology, metal/planarization, cleaning/environment, and back end. Average project duration is 15 months.
For 300 mm, SEA is conducting assessments under the categories of 300-mm SEA projects, which are full assessments at user sites, and also SEA300 projects, which are evaluations of prototypes that are usually done at the equipment supplier's site.
Three 300-mm SEA projects in the areas of metrology, cleaning, and automation are under way. More 300-mm SEA proposals are anticipated, in the areas of PVD and spectroscopic ellipsometry, according to Bruchez. In the field of large area flat panel display technology, SEA is anticipating a project in laser recrystallization of a-Si/poly Si for AMLCDs.
Two SEA300 projects have just been approved. One is at STEAG AST electronik GmbH for single wafer rapid thermal annealing (post implant, automatic, clusterable). STEAG AST's partner is Siemens. The other is at SEZ Equipment AG for single wafer wet etching equipment (front and backside wafer etching), partnered with I300I.
"Basically, these initiatives are open to all European equipment manufacturers, so we expect further projects across the main process themes later this year," said Bruchez.
Bridging the gap
SEA's mission is to bridge the R&D manufacturing gap. Bruchez explains, "The work program in all SEA projects is based on proving that the new equipment operates on state-of-the-art processes and is evaluated against the benchmark of production metrics, such as process quality, measurement accuracy, yield, MTBF, MTTR, uptime, wafer throughput, and cost of ownership. The process requirements and product metrics are set by a number of users, at least two and often involving global users and their input. This ensures the production targets for the new equipment are aggressive and searching. Results are based, not on a few wafers, but on production type quantities to prove that the results are production worthy rather than R&D in nature."
SEA will disseminate research information to manufacturers worldwide. Bruchez said, "Normally in funded projects, results are restricted to the partners, or can only be divulged after a significant timescale. However, dissemination activities are a feature of SEA. The work program, reporting, and dissemination documents, such as brochures, bulletins, and results reports, are all geared for open dissemination to all interested users, potential users, and industry journals."
The Central SEA office based at RAL is set up to disseminate information, both during and at the end of projects. It also participates as an independent reporting body at trade shows and conferences.
SEA and I300I
In 1996, SEA teamed up with the International 300mm Initiative (I300I), based in Austin, TX, to carry out a series of joint projects to demonstrate 300-mm equipment from European suppliers. Three 300-mm SEA projects have been launched with I300I (see "300-mm SEA.projects with I300I currently underway" on p. 93). The equipment will be installed at I300I's Process Support and Metrology Center in Austin, where it will be characterized and used in demonstrations for other equipment.
SEA and I300I have agreed to use equipment performance metrics and demonstration methods defined by the members of I300I for 300-mm equipment evaluations. These projects are intended to further develop cooperation. Almost all the 13 I300I member companies from Asia, Europe, and the US have participated in SEA as assessors of European equipment, either as members of I300I or individually.
A successful start
Although SEA is quite new, it has had early success in terms of participation and number of projects. "As the participation list indicates, SEA has been very successful in attracting European equipment manufacturers from the main wafer process, metrology, assembly, and test themes," said Bruchez. "The user partners show global participation from Europe, USA, southeast Asia, and now Japan."
He continued, "Successful conclusions to projects are being fully reported. Obviously, with so many projects, some will be more successful than others, and some delays have occurred due to late delivery of equipment or in-project modifications to achieve or extend specifications. However, this last point is seen as a plus since it demonstrates the collective determination that prevails to achieve the target specifications. In such cases, project extensions have been allowed."
For more information about SEA, contact: Jeff Bruchez, SEA Dissemination Office, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom; ph 44/1235-445946, fax 44/1235-446174, email [email protected], www/ebl.rl.ac.uk/sea.html.
300-mm SEA projects with I300I currently under way
Metrology
FLASH PT300 project — for fully automatic ellipsometer for 300-mm wafers. Evaluate the productivity, automation compatibility, and measurement capability for 300-mm patterned wafers. Equipment supplier PLASMOS.
Features:
- Robotic system, SMIF, and GEM SECS compatible
- 6-µm spot size for patterned wafers
- Up to 3 wavelengths from 5 possible
- Use for very thin and multiple layers
- Improved pattern recognition system
- Very high throughput
- Low cost of ownership
Cleaning/environment
CFC project — for 300-mm pods and open cassette centrifugal force cleaner. Evaluate front opening unified pod, open cassette, and box cleaner. Equipment supplier DMS.
Features:
- Centrifugal force drying allowing shorter cycle times
- Water-based cleaning process with no surfactant required
- Small footprint
- Compatible with Semi specifications 2471/2472
- Low cost of ownership
Automation
POCS project — for 300-mm front opening pod and cassette sorter. Evaluate the throughput and reliability of the equipment while monitoring particulate and metallic contamination levels, and evaluate interface to, and functionality of, the INCAM stackable, single wafer minienvironment containers. Equipment supplier RECIF.
Features:
- Design concept providing low complexity
- Very low contamination with no metal components in contact with wafer
- Compatible with Semi spec E1.9-1966
- Interface compatibility with INCAM wafer minienvironment system
Features incorporated into the ESPRIT Semiconductor Equipment Assessment Initiative
- Focus on near-term production requirements
- Focus on performance and productivity issues
- Continue support for ongoing development
- Attract main users to act as assessment sites
- Establish a two-phased approach for short- and longer-term requirements
- Attract global participation
- Form a shared funding structure to address the above issues