by Debra Vogler, Instant Insight Inc., Sunnyvale CA
Post-SEMICON West, KLA-Tencor’s Ali Salehpour, SVP/GM, expressed enthusiasm concerning the news of Intel’s investment in ASML to help implement EUVL on 450mm wafers. “This clearly underlines the industry’s collective intentions,” said Salehpour. “Availability of lithography tool sets is in the critical path for eventually building chips on 450mm wafers at the sub-20nm design nodes.” He also observed that the news coincides with SEMI’s industry research and statistics group’s prediction that by 2017, the industry will see the beginning of operations of at least three 450mm fabs. “This is in line with the published timelines of leading IC makers such as Intel and TSMC.”
Because the 450mm transition is expected to happen around the 14nm design node, the industry is facing twin challenges: smaller design rules on larger wafers, commented Salehpour. The industry is responding with increased R&D, including the 450mm research facility at imec. “Their [imec] cleanroom is expected to be operational by 2015,” said Salehpour. KLA-Tencor’s Surfscan SP3 450 unpatterned wafer inspection system will be installed in the facility.