Issue

Table of Contents Solid State Technology Year 1997 Issue 3	FEATURES Feature Products 300-mm probe system ES-220 Series automated systems, for cost-effective inspection of wafers and masks, can be configured to handle 300-mm wafers. Applications include inspection of patterned wafers before and after dicing, as well as chips in gel- or waffle-paks. As a metrology tool, the ES-220 can be used for precision measurement of critical dimensions or overlay registration. Adaptive inspection and precision metrology achieve >95% probability of defect detection, with <1% false defect rate, both at the highest Feature Products Wafer marker Precise locations of functional defects in semiconductor devices are rapidly pinpointed with Soft Docking Interface (SDI). The device being tested is socketed at the top of SDI, which creates a vibration-free platform for imaging the light-tight enclosure of the microscope. Test vectors from the ATE can be run at full speed through SDI, which has a rated speed of 150+ MHz. Once the device is socketed in SDI, the exact location of the failure can be found in minutes. The vibrationless stability o Feature Products DUV step-and-scan lithography The WaferMark DSC300 system, which is equipped with an Nd:YAG laser, is designed for hard marking of 300-mm wafers (as well as 150- and 200-mm). It has a throughput of 200 wafers/hour. Features include two load/unload wafer cassette stations capable of performing no-work-over-work handling. Wafer transport from the cassettes to the optical alignment/marking station is accomplished via a pick-and-place robotic arm with dual vacuum wand. Marking fonts may include SEMI OCR and BC 412, as well as 2- Feature Products Post-implant resist ashing This dicholorosilane (DCS) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) film, named LRS for its low-resistance, low-stress capabilities, offers improved adhesion and 20% lower sheet resistance after anneal than standard DCS films. It also permits tungsten silicide-based processing of advanced devices into the 0.18-?m generation, and offers good step coverage, low fluorine content, and a high deposition rate. Genus Inc., Sunnyvale, CA; ph 408/747-7120, fax 408/747-7199, http://[email protected]. Feature Products Integrated handler and tester workcell The Centaur system workcell combines a high-performance logic test system and a high-throughput handler with automated docking and DUT interface. It also offers the optional capability of performing device lead and mark inspection, and has remote debug and diagnostic capabilities. In addition to combining process steps, the Centaur provides for complete integration of the tester, handler, manipulator, loadboard, and contactor. The system can handle many package types, such as TSSOPs, ?BGAs, and Feature Products IC mark/lead inspector Model 851delivers high speed, accuracy, and flexibility in IC mark/lead inspection, laser marking, open/short testing, and tape and reel packaging. Up to four solid-state cameras digitally capture strobed IC images, which are automatically analyzed for defects and compliance with dimensional tolerances. Powerful software analyzes laser or ink marks for quality, contrast, correctness, and proper orientation. The platform gives true coplanarity inspection (for all two-sided and most one-sided devi Feature Products Scanning probe microscope for UHV AutoProbe VP2 is a scanning probe microscope (SPM) designed for atomic-scale surface analysis in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The instrument combines high-temperature imaging with 3-D probe positioning, advanced spectroscopy functions, and self-sensing atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes, and is available in three configurations - standard, extended y-translation, and high temperature. The VP2 offers high-temperature operation in both scanning tunnel microscopy (STM) and AFM, with STM images up to 6 Industry Insights Smart sensors: The next evolutionary step in metrology Over the past 20 years, there has been a steady evolution in testing during IC manufacturing. Initially, testing was performed after an IC was produced, but with increases in process complexity, more testing was required after individual process steps. During this same period, sensor functions evolved from simple measurement of the equipment state to complex measurement of the process state. Now the paths of testing and sensing have converged. Vacuum Technology Four Steps to Healthier Vacuum system The costs of maintaining vacuum processes in a semiconductor manufacturing facility exceed most other maintenance costs. Pump failures, clogged or sticking valves, and clogged exhaust lines are some of the catastrophic failures that cause lost yield, high downtimes, and high labor costs. Routine maintenance can reduce the frequency of catastrophic failures, but requires significant downtime and labor. In addition, many vacuum processes cause stress on the downstream effluent treatment facilities Links Partnerships in environmentally benign semiconductor manufacturing In the ideal world of environmentally benign semiconductor manufacturing, industry recovers, recycles, and reuses all material resources with a minimal consumption of energy. Truly environmentally benign semiconductor manufacturing must Materials Dielectric anti-reflective coatings for DUV lithography High performance plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) dielectric antireflective coatings (ARC) can be readily designed by combining theoretical models from photolithography simulators with the manufacturing capabilities of silane-based plasma deposition chambers. By following the three steps outlined, the design of these ARCs can be made available to any semiconductor manufacturer for numerous applications. This paper demonstrates how a dielectric ARC was designed for aluminum metal Materials Stoking the productivity engine with new materials and larger wafers Wafer diameter increases and device feature-size decreases have been critical to the success of the semiconductor industry. The productivity gain brought about by increasing the number of chips on a wafer and the number of active elements within a chip continues to drive the growth of end-user markets.

DEPARTMENTS Eurofocus 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` Eurofocus Opal, Siemens in metrology co-op Applied Materials` newest acquisition, Opal Inc., is teaming up with Siemens Microelectronics Center GmbH & Co., Dresden, Germany, to explore 0.18-micron metrology. Eurofocus Spectrogon UK subsidiary established Spectrogon UK Ltd. a newly formed company based in Dundee, UK, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Taby, Sweden-based Spectrogon AB, will design, develop, and manufacture ion-etched diffraction gratings for the synchrotron and related x-ray, deep UV markets, and other specialist applications. Eurofocus Lambda Physik wins SEMATECH award Lambda Physik, G?ttingen, Germany, a producer of excimer lasers, received the SEMATECH Outstanding Contribution Award 1996 for its 193-nm Optical Materials Damage Assessment Project. Eurofocus STEAG Industrie merger with A.S.T. Elektronik STEAG Industrie AG, Essen, Germany, a manufacturer of semiconductor wet processing equipment and CD resist processing equipment, has acquired a majority stake in A.S.T. Elektronik GmbH, a maker of rapid thermal processing equipment required for the production of ULSI chips. The merger, which became effective January 1, was made to improve STEAG`s position in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment market. Euro Products RGA control software Process-Eye is a statistical process control (SPC) software package that provides a simple interface between the residual gas analyzer (RGA) and its operator, allowing both product yield and quality to be enhanced. The system lets exacting process specifications be adhered to, since during each process run all data is constantly cross-referenced against the process`s own database. This baseline file is derived from repeated system runs generated by the client during the commissioning of the RGA Euro Products Excimer laser The NovaLine LITHO excimer laser features a 1-kHz repetition rate, <0.8 pm bandwidth, and 10-W stabilized output power (optional <250 pm and 15 W). The NovaTube metal/ceramic laser tube delivers very good laser tube lifetime, high operating consistency and reliability, and long maintenance intervals with low operating costs. The HaloSafe solid-state halogen generator eliminates the storage and handling of toxic gases, and the polarization coupled resonator design improves laser efficiency, thus Euro Products Vertical multiple transfer sorter The Vertical Multiple Transfer wafer sorter allows automatic single and batch wafer sorting, after noncontact batch ID read. Four functions are integrated into the machine: batch notch finding in two cassettes; batch noncontact wafer ID reading with OCR and BCR software; single wafer sorting; and batch wafer transfers. The sorter is SECS/GEM compliant and ESD safe; it has its own cleanroom table and has an optional back-to-back, face-to-face wafer loading function. Through batch ID reading befor Euro Products Linewidth and overlay measurement This linewidth and overlay measurement tool, the LWS3000, is a video-based system with image processing capabilities. It has wafer inspection and defect review options for process monitoring, a statistical process control software option, and confocal capabilities for inspection of geometries as small as 0.25 ?m. An integrated robot handling system provides automatic wafer handling of 4- to 8-in. wafers. The operating software is Windows-based and designed for easy job setups, calibration, and f Euro Products Exhaust abatement system Model 4214 TPU is an exhaust abatement system that removes all PFC gases, including the most stable of them, CF4. Destruction efficiencies (DREs) of 96-99% have been recorded for C2F6 and averaged 99.53% in a leading single-wafer, multichamber production tool. An oxygen inject facilitates the destruction of CF4 at a DRE of >95%. Edwards High Vacuum International, Crawley, UK; ph 44/1293-528-844, fax 44/1293-407-451. Euro Products Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry The UltraMass-700 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) delivers a fully automated solution for ultratrace element determinations performed by chipmakers and suppliers of high-purity chemicals and reagents. The instrument has an all-MacroTorr turbopump vacuum system that results in lower background levels for improved semiconductor detection limits, and fast pumpdown for enhanced productivity. It meets the current demand for parts-per-trillion level detection limits and also futu Product News Wafer inspection system ES-220 Series automated systems, for cost-effective inspection of wafers and masks, can be configured to handle 300-mm wafers. Applications include inspection of patterned wafers before and after dicing, as well as chips in gel- or waffle-paks. As a metrology tool, the ES-220 can be used for precision measurement of critical dimensions or overlay registration. Adaptive inspection and precision metrology achieve >95% probability of defect detection, with <1% false defect rate, both at the highest Product News ATE-to-emission microscope interface Precise locations of functional defects in semiconductor devices are rapidly pinpointed with Soft Docking Interface (SDI). The device being tested is socketed at the top of SDI, which creates a vibration-free platform for imaging the light-tight enclosure of the microscope. Test vectors from the ATE can be run at full speed through SDI, which has a rated speed of 150+ MHz. Once the device is socketed in SDI, the exact location of the failure can be found in minutes. The vibrationless stability o Product News Wafer marking system The WaferMark DSC300 system, which is equipped with an Nd:YAG laser, is designed for hard marking of 300-mm wafers (as well as 150- and 200-mm). It has a throughput of 200 wafers/hour. Features include two load/unload wafer cassette stations capable of performing no-work-over-work handling. Wafer transport from the cassettes to the optical alignment/marking station is accomplished via a pick-and-place robotic arm with dual vacuum wand. Marking fonts may include SEMI OCR and BC 412, as well as 2- Product News CVD film This dicholorosilane (DCS) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) film, named LRS for its low-resistance, low-stress capabilities, offers improved adhesion and 20% lower sheet resistance after anneal than standard DCS films. It also permits tungsten silicide-based processing of advanced devices into the 0.18-?m generation, and offers good step coverage, low fluorine content, and a high deposition rate. Genus Inc., Sunnyvale, CA; ph 408/747-7120, fax 408/747-7199, http://[email protected]. Product News Vacuum inlet traps The MV Posi-Trap line of vacuum foreline traps can be supplied with a variety of filter elements to help prevent pump fluid contamination. The traps protect vacuum pumps by removing the corrosive and abrasive particles present in pump fluid. Constructed from stainless steel and positively sealed to prevent "blow by," they can be supplied with stainless steel or copper gauze, molecular sieve, SodaSorb, activated charcoal, activated alumina, and 2-, 5-, and 20-?m pleated polypropylene filters. MV Product News Vertical positioning stage The Z8 z-axis, wedge-style positioning stage is a low-profile vertical travel axis that is based on a 3-piece wedge design. By driving the center wedge horizontally, the top plate moves vertically, producing very fine vertical positioning. Both the horizontal and vertical motions are guided by precision crossed roller bearings, providing a stiff structure that is virtually free from side play. The stage is actuated by either a piezo ceramic linear motor for sub-0.1-?m resolution or a precision g Product News Arsine delivery SDS2, for ion implantation using arsine, has good stability and a shelf life of two years; it represents a new approach to safe delivery of arsine and phosphine, allowing users the equipment flexibility of a gas source with the safety and performance of a solid source. Using pure Group V hydrides at low pressure, SDS2 delivers gas based on the pressure differential between the SDS cylinder and the ion source of the implanter. Matheson Electronic Products Group, San Jose, CA; ph 408/971-6500, fax Product News Equipment control software ControlPRO software has been designed for use in a next-generation cluster tool platform for 300-mm wafer manufacturing. Hardware for the system, developed in Japan by Toyoda Loom Works and Kanematsu Semiconductor, consists of a high-vacuum robot, and a transport module and cassette module. Embedded ControlPRO software controls and integrates these modules into the system, which conforms to SEMI standards. Realtime Performance Inc., Sunnyvale, CA; ph 408/245-6537, fax 408/245-6547, e-mail market Product News Simulation software ProModel Optimization Suite 3.5 software allows users to decrease costs, improve throughput, and determine efficiency through sequencing. Applications include throughput prediction, control system analysis, traffic control adjustment, and fab sub-level layout. With its easy-to-learn GUI, the software permits rapid model development and modification. Proposed changes to systems are implemented and tested on PCs. Optimization capability, or SimRunner, is a feature that runs hundreds of simulation Product News PLD multitarget manipulators Designed for use in pulsed laser deposition systems, these multiple-target manipulators are valuable tools for depositing multiple-layer films. They can be configured for as many as six 1-in.-dia. targets or four 3-in. targets. A coaxial, magnetically coupled, rotary feedthrough avoids the failure problems associated with bellows seals in demanding environments. A water-cooled shield protects all targets from backscattered vapor. Computer automation is optional. PVD Products, Bedford, MA; ph 617 Product News Interferometric sensor head Precision Optical Displacement Sensor (PODS) 0-16 is a fiber pigtailed mini-interferometer that can measure displacement over a 16-cm range with 0.3-nm accuracy, and is suited to vibration and velocity measurements due to its high 7-MHz output bandwidth. Up to four PODS sensor heads can be powered by a single HeNe laser. PODS is supplied with a laser source, signal processing electronics, and customizable GUI-based software. MPB Technologies Inc., Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada; ph 514/694-8751, Product News Trace metal monitoring MicroSample X-Ray Florescence (MSXRF), for monitoring of process equipment, extends the range of XRF to the parts-per-billion sensitivity level, allowing monitoring of trace element contamination in chemical baths or monitoring of process-induced metallic contaminants in such equipment as implanters, plasma etchers, furnaces, RTA, TEOS, CVD, and other high-energy deposition or etch systems. Because MSXRF`s preparation techniques eliminate the complexities associated with ICP-MS and GFAAS, this n Product News Raman spectroscopy imaging The Raman Imaging Microscope combines scanning spectroscopy and 2-D imaging in a single system. The microscope scans to a spatial resolution of 1 ?m and a spectral resolution down to 0.2 cm-1, providing 2D images, and 2D and 3D spectral plots. The scan is performed using a 25 mW laser. While the standard microscope scans across the full range from 200 to 4000 cm-1, optional extensions provide ranges of 100 to 4000 cm-1 and 5000 to 7000 cm-1. The instrument can also be customized for remote anal Product News UV epoxies Formulated to provide ultrahigh resistance to moisture, the Emcast 1820 series of UV epoxies are 100% solids epoxy systems designed for use as adhesives, coatings, and sealants. They contain no solvents and cure-with minimum shrinkage upon exposure to long-wave UV light- to tough, solvent- and chemical-resistant adhesives. The series consists of four products, which vary slightly in areas of hardness and Tg. Electronic Materials Inc., Breckenridge, CO; ph 970/547-0807. Product News Recirculating chillers Designed for high-performance applications where tight temperature control is required, the RC006AG01 and RC006AH01 recirculating chillers achieve ?0.1?C temperature stability. Both models provide up to 600 W of cooling in a 14?14?22-in. cabinet. The chillers keep the cooling fluid clean and pure; the liquid circuit is made from noncontaminating materials, and special filters maintain coolant quality. Standard features include hot gas bypass, digital temperature display, low level indicator, air Product News Uninterruptible power and vacuum supply UPVS provides continuous back-up power and wafer-handling vacuum for wafer process tools and handling equipment, preventing wafer breakage. The vacuum section has a high-reliability vacuum pump with a supply reservoir. Both power and vacuum are true zero transfer time. The front panel displays various real-time power and vacuum conditions in a flow chart fashion. Conditions can also be monitored through the unit`s communication ports. Q Systems Inc., Bronxville, NY; ph 914/237-6728, fax 914/967- Product News Motorized mapping stage With a travel range of 1 ? 3 in., the Advantage motorized mapping stage is well suited to spectral mapping and sequenced sampling via FT-IR microscopy. The stage is controlled via joystick, keypad, or software command. For microscopes that are coupled to FT-IR spectrometers operating with OMNIC 3.0 or higher software, the stage is available with OMNIC Atlus Microscope Software, which enhances ease of use through unattended sample analysis of line and area maps, as well as random points, and offe Product News Toxic gas detection Gas Plus simplifies operation and maintenance of toxic gas detection systems. The universal transmitter configures automatically when coupled with this company`s 22 gas-specific, intrinsically safe sensors, so only a few spares need to be stocked. Calibrated sensors can be stored off-line for up to nine months, thanks to an internally powered microprocessor that allows retention of configuration data and elimination of warm-up time. A selectable output inhibit feature permits easy removal of se Product News Continuous mini gas detector The MD-16 is a single-gas, wall-mounted, continuous detector of low levels of chlorine and several other hazardous gases. Built-in audio and visual alarms, activated in <8 sec, can be tested, silenced, or reset remotely by shining a light on the front panel. Auxiliary outputs and LED lights indicate cell failure, power failure, and warning alarm. CEA Instruments Inc., Emerson, NJ; ph 201/967-5660, fax 201/967-8450. Product News Solder-bumped wafer reflow furnace The Falcon 8/C solder-bumped wafer reflow furnace is a bottom-up conduction and top-down convection system designed to handle 4-, 5-, 6-, and 8-in. wafers. It has automated on/off loaders for integration into fully automated production lines. Optional ADE automated wafer handlers are available (one for each end of the reflow machine) that accommodate 25-wafer-capacity Fluoroware cassettes. Special platen and sweeper bar designs help to cradle the wafer and protect the delicate bumps as the wafer Product News IS Scanner better than a stepper Quarter micron optical lithography introduced step-and- scan tools to IC manufacturing. While scanning lithography has a few obvious advantages, including larger image fields and scan averaging of aberrations, the scanner also suffers from increased system complexity and cost, synchronization, and vibration errors, and, in cases where the full field size is not used, reduced throughput. Services Sputter-coating process A new sputter-coating process for wire, ribbon, and discrete parts using a range of noble precious and nonprecious metal coatings enables co-deposition of alloys or compounds that cannot be mechanically worked or alloyed by other techniques. Conducted at low temperatures, SCX sputtering permits deposition on temperature-sensitive materials, using a reactive gas such as hydrogen, nitrogen, or oxygen to engineer coatings that consist of metallic compounds like hydrides, nitrides, and oxides. Typi Services PVD report A recently released report titled "RGB-186B Thin-Layer Deposition: Highlighting PVD" focuses on an analysis of market trends for physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment and technology. It provides the current value of worldwide shipments of PVD equipment, and forecasts the growth rate for the year 2000. The report also provides a breakdown of markets by size, and makes predictions for the growth of PVD use in each. Price: $2950. Business Communications Co. Inc., Norwalk, CT; ph 203/853-4266, Services 1997 IC status report This report provides a review of the current IC industry and forecasts its future. Topics covered include a worldwide IC industry economic update and forecast (1997-2001); merchant and captive IC vendors; ASIC industry trends; IC technology and packaging trends; IC product overview; MOS, MPU, MCU, and DSP market trends; and MOS memory market trends. The report also includes an extensive appendix of worldwide locations and contact addresses. Price for book or CD-ROM: US $795, outside US $855. Int Services SEMI 1997-98 membership directory A newly revised version of the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) membership directory is available that provides listings of more than 1850 member companies from the semiconductor equipment and materials and services industries. The directory contains complete company information, including names, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web site addresses, worldwide sales offices, annual semiconductor-related sales, and product categories. Other sections of the directory Services 16 Mbyte SDRAM samples 16 Mbyte SDRAM samples Samples of 16-Mbyte synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) are available in a 2-Mbit ? 8 version (MT48LC2M8A1TG) with 3.3-V supply in 44-pin TSOP II packages. Designed to run on a volume production process at 0.35 ?m, the device operates at 83 MHz and 100 MHz, with access times at 12 ns and 10 ns, respectively. A 4-Mbit ? 4 organization option is on the same die and samples will be available in the near future. Micron Technology Inc., Boise, ID; ph 208/368-3900. Services IC processing guide This 623-page, illustrated text titled Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processing provides a nontechnical explanation of the IC fabrication process for persons new to the semiconductor industry. The third edition of the guide contains information on new processes, as well as the basics of established processes, and includes topics like the background of the semiconductor industry; process materials and chemicals; process yields; oxidation; photolithography; doping; depo Services Semiconductor business information service A semiconductor business information service incorporating the volume Profile of the Worldwide Semiconductor Industry: Market Prospects to 2000 and the Integrated Circuits International Newsletter, a monthly publication, is available. Profile of the Worldwide Semiconductor Industry provides market data and forecasts to the year 2000 supplied by device type; analysis of industry structure and condition; commentary on the emerging market and technology trends; activities and performance of the maj Editorial Rededication Allow me to introduce myself. I am the new Editor-in-Chief of Solid State Technology magazine. I am delighted to be part of a publication that has established itself as the definitive word on semiconductors and solid state technology. SST has witnessed and reported on the news and technology of the semiconductor phenomenon for 40 years, and has kept pace with the rapid changes in this volatile industry. Literature Literature This 216-page, illustrated catalog provides information on three levels of adapter solutions, including off-the-shelf adapters for most chip/packages, field-configurable adapters that enable designers to create their own adapter, and custom adapters for special custom requirements. Specific products include emulator tools, logic analyzer/scope adapters, programming adapters, production/test adapters, debugging accessories, prototyping adapters, field-configurable adapters, and custom adapters. Literature LitShow Realtime Performance Inc. (RPI), Sunnyvale, CA, has developed the ControlPRO equipment control software that will be used in a next-generation cluster tool platform for 300-mm semiconductor manufacturing. The hardware for the system was developed by Toyoda Loom Works Ltd. and Kanematsu Semiconductor Corp. in Japan. The tool consists of a newly developed, high vacuum robot, and a transport module and cassette module. RPI`s embedded ControlPRO software controls and integrates these modules in the People People Ion Systems Inc., Berkeley, CA, has named Michelle Gabriel director of manufacturing. Prior to joining Ion Systems, Gabriel was VP of operations at Powis Parker, and production manager at Compression Labs. Lithography Optimizing I-line Lithography for 0.30-UM poly-gate manufacturing Jo Finders, Plamen Tzviatkov, Kurt Ronse, Luc Van den hove Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC), Leuven, Belgium Market Watch ISS97 is less bubbly; Outlook cloudy until 98 January`s Industry Strategy Symposium, sponsored by SEMI, once again drew several hundred industry executives and observers to Pebble Beach, CA, for a look at market conditions and outlook (plus a few rounds of golf). World News World Highlights Equipment book-to-bill rises above 1.0. Monthly orders for North American semiconductor equipment rose in December to 1.02, the first time since May 1996 the ratio topped 1.0 (see table). December bookings reached $1.04 billion, the first time the figure surpassed the $1 billion mark since June 1996, yet 30% lower than December 1995. Monthly billings, which have been steadily declining since last summer, were $1.02 billion, 3% below November figures and 22% less than a year ago. World News USA Planergy Inc., Austin, TX, an independent energy service company, will undertake a pilot study on energy usage patterns in semiconductor fabrication facilities. The study, which is the first phase of SEMATECH`s energy conservation program, will survey and analyze energy use at two US manufacturing sites. This study and subsequent worldwide surveys will encompass all aspects of the silicon-based semiconductor manufacturing process from raw wafer through completed chip. World News Japan Air Products Japan Inc. and Showa Denko K.K. have formed a joint venture to manufacture two specialty gases - tetrafluoromethane (CF4) and hexafluoroethane (C2F6) - at Showa Denko`s Kawasaki plant near Tokyo. The venture, known as Showa Denko Air Products Co. Ltd., will market the compounds to semiconductor manufacturers for use as dry etchants and chamber clean gases. World News Asia/pacific Pacific display cooperative. Planar Systems president and CEO Jim Hurd is proposing the establishment of a Pacific Rim Display Cooperative, dedicated to promoting the growth of a successful display industry in the region. Education would be stressed to provide the display industry with better access to well-prepared employees; as well as international communication and information exchange in pre-competitive and noncompetitive areas. For more information, contact US activities director Neil Berg World News Europe STEAG Industrie AG, Essen, Germany, a manufacturer of semiconductor wet processing equipment and CD resist processing equipment, has acquired a majority stake in A.S.T. Elektronik GmbH, a maker of rapid thermal processing equipment required for the production of ULSI chips. In 1996, the STEAG companies reached total sales of more than DM 300 million (about US$183 million) and employed about 750 people. A.S.T., based in Kirchheim near Munich, reached sales of about DM75 million (about US$45 milli World News Rest of the world Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek, Israel, and WaferScale Integration Inc. (WSI), Fremont, CA, have signed a long-term agreement under which the companies will mutually develop WSI`s proprietary erasable programmable read-only memory design on Tower`s 0.6-micron technology.

© Gold Flag Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We place cookies on your device to give you the best user experience. By using our websites, you agree to placement of these cookies and to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to accept.