Four Japan IC makers eye 300-mm in 98
09/01/1997
Four Japan IC makerseye 300-mm in `98
The Japanese Selete consortium has disclosed results of a survey of its member companies, indicating that four of the top ten chipmakers in Japan intend to begin installation of equipment for pilot 300-mm production during 1998, with three companies eyeing the start of installation for volume production in the second half of 1999 (see figure).
Although the anonymous survey was taken this past May, several of the top semiconductor firms in Japan are reportedly implementing more aggressive schedules than they have reported to Selete. This means that they are not waiting for experimental results to emerge from the equipment evaluation co-op, but are conducting their own evaluations as well.
Seven of the surveyed firms said they plan to begin equipment installation for volume production by the 3Q of 2000; the remaining companies are taking a less aggressive approach, with one not expecting to install tools until the 2Q of 2002. Virtually all the major Japanese companies have begun their factory design for the 300-mm generation, and equipment evaluations should be underway at five firms by the 3Q of this year.
According to sources familiar with the Selete program, the current complement of developmental tooling includes:
Vertical oxidation furnaces from Kokusai Electric, Tokyo; and Koyo Lindberg, Nara;
LPCVD tools for SiN, doped polysilicon, and other functions from Kokusai and Tokyo Electron Ltd., both of Tokyo;
Photoresist coater/developer from Tokyo Electron;
Plasma-enhanced CVD system for SiO2 deposition from Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA;
Photoresist asher from Plasma Systems, Tokyo;
Oxide plasma etcher from Tokyo Electron;
Metal PVD system from ULVAC, Chigasaki;
Wet station from Tokyo Electron;
Wet etchers from Nisso Engineering, Tokyo, and Sugai, Kyoto;
Polysilicon plasma etcher from Sumitomo Metal;
CD-SEM from Hitachi;
Wafer transfer tools from MECS, Aichi.
Reportedly coming in the near future are:
APCVD system from Canon, Tokyo;
Plasma CVD tool for TEOS/SiN from ASM Japan;
Wet station from Shibaura, Tokyo;
Developmental deep UV wafer stepper from Canon;
Spin wet etcher from Smiele SEZ, Tokyo;
and several other tools. - P.N.D.
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Figures represent number of Selete member companies planning to begin activity in quarter indicated. Pilot line and volume production dates refer to beginning of equipment installation process.