Online information source for semiconductor professionals

ROBERT JANSEN, Lend Lease-Crystal, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

Throughout the history of the semiconductor industry, technological advances have demonstrated an amazing pace of evolution. Over the last two decades they have taken us from 2.0 micron feature sizes and 100 mm wafers to 0.18 micron and 200 mm wafers. With the start of the new millennium we are on the verge of introducing 0.13 micron technology on 300 mm wafers. The transition to these new technologies will go hand in hand with huge investments in facilities and tools. As a result the semiconductor business community is starting to reconsider the way in which these assets are to be developed and managed. Asimilar development can be observed in the history of the airline industry. A Boeing 747 is, just like a FAB, a very sophisticated integration of the latest technologies, providing a platform to generate business. The airlines are the experts in generating the business. Basically they all use the same platforms, but tailored to their specific needs. The platform itself is often leased and moves from a high-end user in the beginning of the life cycle to a lower-end user at a later stage. Similar models will emerge in the microelectronics industry, as the future 300 mm FAB will develop into a standardised production platform, consisting of pre-designed and pre-engineered building blocks, customised to address product or user specific requirements. To align investments and revenues, innovative financing options such as lease or buy back constructions, will become an integral part of the programming of these new facilities.