Japanese Ssi orders crystal puller from Leybold

03/01/1997

Japanese SSi orders crystal puller from Leybold

The Japanese Super Silicon Crystal Research Institute (SSi) has signed an agreement with Leybold Systems GmbH, Hanau, Germany, for the development of a 400-mm diameter crystal puller that will be used in SSi`s research program on the 400-mm substrates. Under the collaborative deal, Leybold will build the system at its Hanau facility and ship it to SSi in Japan in the second half of this year. Work will continue on refinements and improvements over a total of five years; Leybold put the contract`s value at "several million German marks."

The new puller will "complete the series of new-type pullers that started with the 300-mm version," said Leybold. Japanese efforts on 400-mm development have been under way for almost a year, with an eye toward having the new substrates ready for development early in the new century.

Materials market researcher Rose Associates estimates that about 10,000, 400-mm units/month will be used in 2005, increasing to 260,000 by 2010. Estimated usage for 300-mm wafers in the same years are 850,000/month and 1.1 million/month, respectively.- P.N.D.