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Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied Producer GT,' which it boldly claims is the industry's fastest, most cost-effective CVD1 platform. The Producer GT is said to be capable of processing 150 wafers per hour (wph), which doubles the throughput of any competitive system, and enables a 30% reduction in cost of ownership and a 50% increase in wph/m2 footprint, according to the company. The Producer GT supports the full portfolio of Applied's PECVD1 technology applications with more than 30 production-proven processes.

Problem: As films become thinner in leading-edge devices, deposition tools must become faster and much more efficient to maximize fab utilization. The Producer GT builds on inherent productivity benefits of the Producer platform to provide customers with process transparency for a full range of PECVD applications for 45nm and beyond on a faster platform.

Solution: Key to the Applied Producer GT platform's benchmark performance is its FX robot that allows the simultaneous transfer of four wafers, enabling maximum productivity of a three-‘Twin Chamber' Producer configuration. The platform's double-decker loadlock reduces wafer handling time and increases chamber utilization. Wafer-handling components, designed to minimize defects, achieve 30% lower mechanical-based particle performance while maintaining high productivity. A high-capacity factory interface supports up to four FOUPs for operational efficiency and integrated metrology capability. The Producer GT has also been redesigned to significantly improve serviceability, reducing preventive maintenance time by up to 25%.

Applications: 45nm and below PECVD processes.

Platform: Customers have purchased and are using more than 1,500 Producer CVD systems worldwide. To further reduce operating costs by up to 40%, the company's Metron division offers a customized energy-saving pump and abatement system package. The ‘Marathon' 8600 is currently the only abatement system available that can support the Producer GT's three chamber design with a single unit.

Availability: November 2006 onwards.