PDF Acquires German Partner

Electronic News, June 12, 2000 by Jeff Chappell

PDF Solutions Inc., San Jose, a maker of yield- and performance-improvement systems and software for IC manufacturers, has acquired German company AISS GmbH, which specializes in software for both e-beam and optical-proximity correction. PDF's integration of AISS' mask and lithography technology will dramatically improve the company's ability to diagnose and correct problems that reduce yields for deep-submicron manufacturing, PDF said. "AISS' core competency is modeling the interactions between product and process," explained Dave Joseph, PDF vice president of products and methods. "The acquisition allows us to take their models and turn those into corrections and actual improvements in the product," he said. "The merger really is a nice fit that way." Joseph noted that both companies' target customer base is the same, but that each company is serving just a portion of that potential customer base. AISS has developed software that integrates with PDF's existing yield-ramp products and services, PDF said. AISS' SiCat-Core tool provides an engine for analyzing and verifying the design of ICs for manufacture. Already integrated with PDF's pdEx software, SiCat-Core provides the capability to support pdEx's prediction of the yield impact of random and systematic problems that can reduce yields, according to PDF.

Steag Receives SC300 Supplier Kudos

SC300, the Dresden, Germany-based 300mm wafer pilot fab operated jointly by Infineon Technologies AG and Motorola Inc., chose Steag MicroTech GmbH, a supplier of advanced wet processing equipment and a unit of Steag Electronic Systems AG, as a top supplier for 1999. SC300 chose the company because of process results on its 300mm automatic wet processor tool. Steag is one of six semiconductor equipment suppliers to receive a top supplier designation. Steag has several 300mm wet process tools placed around the world in pilot lines for etching and cleaning applications. Steag Electronic Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Steag AG, Essen, Germany.

SC300 Chooses Electroglas Yield-Management Software

Knights Technology, a division of San Jose-based Electroglas Inc. has licensed its YieldManager software to SC300, the Dresden, Germany, 300mm pilot wafer fab created by Infineon AG and Motorola Inc. SC300 will use the YieldManager software to prioritize, target, and implement yield enhancement. YieldManager is a customized, instrument-independent software solution that enables fab engineers to collect, analyze and graphically display essential process, inspection, and test data to help identify the sources of semiconductor yield loss, according to Knight's Technology. The company claims the software is the only independent software tool designed to interface with equipment from multiple suppliers to collect data from wafer processing, inspection, metrology, parametric, and electrical test steps.

Lambda Fires Up Improved Lasers

Lambda Physik, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has introduced the 300 W XeCl industrial excimer laser, the Lambda Stable Energy Excimer Laser (Steel) series. The Lambda Steel series offers increased pulse stability and reliability with a significant reduction in operating costs, according to Lamda Physik. The company said it has redesigned the laser tube for outstanding gas lifetimes and pulse energy stability, optimized beam shielding and the beam shutter to increase the mechanical stability and optic lifetimes, and implemented a new laser tube adjustment device to minimize maintenance time. The laser is housed in a cleanroom-compatible stainless steel cabinet. The new lasers are available in two models: The Steel 670 generates a stabilized pulse energy of 670megajoules (mJ) at 300Hz with 200W power; the Steel 1000 generates a stabilized pulse energy of 1000mJ at 300Hz and 300W power.

Adept Technology Does the NanoMotion

Adept Technology Inc., San Jose, has completed the acquisition of NanoMotion Inc., a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based developer and manufacturer of nanometer and subnanometer positioning and alignment. The company manufactures production-ready devices for nanometer-scale movement, positioning and alignment for the fiber optic, semiconductor and metrology markets. The acquisition closed May 31. Adept said the acquisition should expand its role in precision handling robotics.