Lucent, Applied Materials Expand Single-Wafer Processing

Electronic News, May 8, 2000 by Jeff Chappell

Lucent Technologies Inc. will evaluate Applied Materials Inc.'s single-wafer, front-end process technologies for possible use in its next-generation chip technology. The Murray Hill, N. J., company said it will gauge Applied's process quality and reproducibility, manufacturing cycle time, throughput, and total cost of ownership for potential use in its next-generation process flow. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Applied's process technologies include rapid thermal annealing, the growth of oxide thin films, and the deposition of silicon nitride and polysilicon thin films. Reducing fab cycle time is among the motivations driving the project, Lucent said. Lucent said it will evaluate several single-wafer thermal process steps in its pilot product line using several systems and chambers from Applied. Lucent will evaluate tools including: rapid thermal processing (RTP), in situ steam generation technology for gate dielectric, shallow trench isolation (STI) liner, pad and other oxide films; the RTP Centura for implant and STI anneals; and the SiNgen single-wafer, low-pressure chemical vapor deposition nitride chamber for spacer and pad nitride applications. Also slated for evaluation are Applied Materials' integrated poly and gate oxidation process chambers for polysilicon deposition of the transistor gate. The companies said single-wafer thermal processing offers several technical advantages over batch furnaces.

SEZ Offers Double-Sided, Single-Wafer Spin Processor

Applied Materials isn't the only company developing single-wafer tools. The SEZ Group last week unveiled the Spin Processor 8200, SEZ's first single-wafer tool that simultaneously cleans both sides of a wafer. SEZ is aiming the wafer-processing platform at the market for prediffusion wafer cleaning and plans to offer it as an alternative to wet benches. SEZ has received its first order for the tool from a major European semiconductor manufacturer that will complete a production-worthiness evaluation, according to the Villach, Austria-based subsidiary of Swiss company SEZ Holding AG. Production-worthy systems should be available for shipment beginning in the first quarter of 2001. A four-chamber tool, the 8200 is an upgrade from the company's Spin Processor 4200. The 8200 offers the advantages of single wafer cleaning tools, such as better uniformity and elimination of cross-contamination, while keeping the advantages of batch tools, such as high throughput and the possibility of hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface termination without water marks, according to SEZ.

KLA-Tencor Bringing Tools, Tech Support Online

KLA-Tencor Corp., San Jose, last week rolled out iSupport, an online customer support service that enables the company's technical support and applications engineers to remotely access real-time data from KLA-Tencor tools and diagnose and resolve problems. Data collected from iSupport is placed in the integrated diagnostic monitoring (iDM) server that KLA-Tencor installs directly in the customer's fab. This server continuously monitors tools that are connected to iSupport and alerts both the customer and KLA-Tencor when a problem is detected. The iDM server also functions as the administrative gatekeeper for KLA-Tencor's Online Support Center (OSC) by preventing unauthorized access to the tool. At the request of the customer, KLA-Tencor's OSC technical and applications engineers log on to their central server and the iDM server to remotely access the tool. The OSC desktop mimics the keyboard and display monitors on the tool, enabling the OSC engineers to access log files, error messages, recipe parameters, and sensor data, just as if they were actually in the fab, according to KLA-Tencor. From there, the engineers can assess system performance, execute diagnostics, and assist with recipe setups.

Photronics, Silicon Valley Group Supplying Silterra

Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a semiconductor manufacturing facility under construction, signed a long-term services agreement with D2W, an electronic design automation unit of photomask supplier Photronics Inc., Jupiter, Fla. Silterra also placed an additional order with Silicon Valley Group Inc., San Jose, for SVG's advanced vertical processors. D2W will provide front-end data preparation services and photomask technology consulting for Silterra's new Malaysian facility, which should begin production in the third quarter of 2001. Silterra said it would be able to optimize mask generation cycle times by outsourcing to the Photronics subsidiary. In preparation for Silterra's ramp up, D2W will immediately supply test chip and prototype mask tooling preparation to utilize capacity with LSI LogicCorp, Silterra's technology partner. Silterra's order from SVG is the second multiple system order this year for the company's advanced vertical thermal reactors. This recent order includes annealing, gate oxidation, silicon nitride and poly chemical vapor deposition systems, and through a licensing agreement, enables Silterra to copy exactly LSI Logic's proven 250-nanometer and 180nm gate geometry processes.