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Tool Order: Major memory firm orders first Optima HD implanter from Axcelis |
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May 05, 2006 at 02:22 PM |
 One of the largest memory chip manufacturers based in Asia has ordered its first Optima HD high dose implanter from Axcelis Technologies. The tool is expected to ship in the current second quarter 2006.
The tool is being dedicated in production to carry out boron doping dual poly gates on memory devises, according to the company.
"Axcelis has a very strong partnership with this chipmaker and we're excited to expand our technology relationship even further with this new order," said Mary Puma, chairman and CEO of Axcelis. "The flexibility of the Optima HD was a key advantage that our customer valued when making their decision. Its ability to perform conventional high dose implants today, along with unmatched extendibility for future device manufacturing trends, including dual poly gate and hydrogen applications, made the Optima HD the most logical choice."
The memory manufacturer is expected to make follow-on orders later in the year, which could include molecular implant tools. Axcelis expects some customers will order Optima HD platforms that will be used for a variety of applications that will require beam changes to meet multiple applications. The Optima is designed to allow such changes to be made in-situ and can be converted within one working shift.
During a conference call with financial analysts, Axcelis executives reiterated it remains on track to ship 10 Optima HD systems in 2006 that will be primarily evaluation tools. Revenue recognition would be in 2007.
Mary Puma noted that the company expects revenues to rise 20 percent in the 2Q06 period with bookings in April being particularly strong and expects to have regained its historical 40 percent market share by the end of 2007. Orders and shipments for the 2Q06 period are also made up of a number of fast turns for 200mm tools, according to answers given to questions from financial analysts. Axcelis is currently building a number of tools in advance of anticipated orders.
The company expects multi-wafer implanters especially 200mm tools to continue to make up about half of all tool orders due to renewed capacity expansions at 200mm fabs from some tier 1 chip manufacturers but also from a number of tier 2 manufacturers.
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