Online information source for semiconductor professionals

Product Briefing Outline: CIMAC is now offering a new MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) migration packaged service solution for semiconductor fabs with obsolete server platforms. These server platforms run the manufacturing control software that coordinates the movement and processing of material through the fab. Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced dates when support for their AlphaServer and HP PA-RISC 9000 Server platforms will no longer be available. This could effect up to 100 mostly 200mm fabs. Legacy MES software including WorkStream, PROMIS and FACTORYworks (Applied Materials) all have software versions that run on HP AlphaServers Open as well as HP 9000 Servers. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: SAFC Hitech has made significant progress in developing Germanium Antimony Telluride (GexSbyTez or GST) precursors for use in high volume manufacturing phase change memory (PCM) applications. Extensive development work has been conducted with both the precursors and with the use of conventional Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) techniques to deposit them, resulting in the successful deposition of device-quality GST. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Rudolph Technologies has launched new ‘E30’ and ‘B30’ modules for wafer edge and backside inspection. The third-generation E30 and B30 modules provide improved sensitivity while maintaining high throughput, making them suitable for production environments. The new tools are equipped with the performance enhancements needed for inspection and in-line monitoring of 32nm manufacturing processes from front end of line (FEOL) through final manufacturing. The first shipments are scheduled for 4Q08. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: KLA-Tencor has introduced the ‘Surfscan SP2XP,’ with improved sensitivity to defects on silicon, poly and metal films and enhanced ability to sort defects by type and size, compared with its predecessor, the Surfscan SP2.  It also features vacuum handling and higher throughput. These capabilities are designed to enable chipmakers to bring their leading-edge (≥4Xnm) devices to market faster by delivering improved process tool monitoring throughout the fab. The new system also introduces an ultra-high sensitivity operating mode to accelerate fabs’ development of 3Xnm and 2Xnm next-generation devices. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Air Products and Chemicals has introduced its new ‘XeCovery’ on-site xenon recovery service for the semiconductor and MEMS industries. Xenon has a number of unique properties that have attracted a variety of industries to use this atom, including semiconductor manufacturing. With demand and prices on the rise, there is a growing concern that cost will hamper its applicability. Air Products uses its patented Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA) technology as a means for recovering xenon from effluent gas streams. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Matheson Tri-Gas Electronics has introduced its patented ‘PICO-TRAP’ Ultra-Purification System for removing volatile metal impurities and moisture from critical process gases used by semiconductor manufacturers. The PICO-TRAP System combines the principles of chemisorption and physisorption to achieve higher levels of process gas purity than by conventional purification technologies, according to the company. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Nikon Instruments has introduced a new wafer loader NWL200 Series that is capable of loading wafers as thin as 100 micrometers. Using a new chuck system to transfer wafers, the NWL200 Series is claimed to achieve highly-reliable loading suitable for inspection of next-generation semiconductors. Previous systems could not be counted on to safely load wafers thinner than 300 micrometers, according to the company. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials is now offering the ‘Producer eHARP’ (enhanced High Aspect Ratio Process) system that extends the ‘HARP SACVD’ gap-fill technology for critical STI device structures to 32nm and beyond. The eHARP process has been developed to produce void-free films to fill <30nm, >12:1 aspect ratio features that are seen as being essential for the fabrication of advanced memory and logic devices. The eHARP process features new proprietary process innovations to enable high-density, strain-inducing films enable the scaling of conventional planar and emerging 3-D device structures. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Imera Systems has announced its next-generation network virtualization solutions for cross-enterprise e-Diagnostics and equipment knowledge base access. The solutions are claimed to connect manufacturers and equipment vendors to maximize productivity and reduce unscheduled equipment downtime with no VPN connection, or a third party service provider without IP leakage. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Alchimer S.A. has introduced the ‘eG ViaCoat,’ an electrochemical coating processes, for the metallization of high aspect ratio through-silicon vias (TSVs) used in advanced 3D packaging applications. eG ViaCoat enables conformal, thin, uniform and adherent copper seed layers, even on resistive barriers. It is claimed to reduce processing costs over conventional dry vacuum processes. For example, for 10:1 aspect ratio TSVs, the CoO of eG ViaCoat is claimed to be 75% less than that of a traditional PVD (physical vapor deposition) process. Read more >>