Intel delays 300mm wafer move

Electronic News, July 31, 1995 by Walter Andrews

NEW YORK--Despite others' plans to implement 300-millimeter (12-inch) wafers, Intel probably will delay its transition to production using the larger, more cost-effective substrate until the turn of the century, because other technologies enjoy higher priority, a senior executive said last week.

Such a delay would mean Intel could be nearly three years behind Motorola, the main device manufacturer driving the transition to 300mm, which has indicated it plans to be using 300mm wafers in IC production by 1998 or earlier. Sass Somekh, Applied Materials' senior VP of world product operations, has projected the transition to 300mm wafers will start anywhere from late 1996 to late 1997 (EN, July 17). Samsung also is mentioned by equipment companies as another device manufacturer moving aggressively to 300mm wafers. The larger wafers would have 2.5 times the number of die per wafer than the 200mm wafers and hold the promise of reducing the cost of each IC.

Ken Thompson, Intel's VP of manufacturing engineering, told Electronic News that Intel's top technological priority right now is achieving leadership in chip production using 0.25-micron linewidths. Next on the priority list is moving to deep-ultraviolet lithography, then 0.18-micron linewidths.

"From our standpoint, we haven't made any final decision (on 300mm wafers) but quarter micron is upon us. As a result, we're forced to go to the marketplace with those equipment sets that are available to us at this moment. For quarter micron, Intel is pretty well locked into 200mm (wafers)," Mr. Thompson said. Intel has indicated it would not be in production with its 0.25-micron technology much before late 1997 (EN, April 3).

On moving to 300mm wafers at the next linewidth generation, 0.18-micron, Mr. Thompson said: "We haven't made that decision officially but that would be the most probable next cut-in for us." He said Intel wouldn't be putting 0.18-micron into production "until near the turn of the century."

Asked if that meant Intel wouldn't be going to 300mm wafers before the turn of the century, Mr. Thompson replied: "Yes, that's kind of how I see it. We'll have to have some early (300mm) equipment sets to do our development before the year 2000. We're not in a big rush to get into 300mm."

Asked if he was perhaps leaving the door slightly open to introduce 300mm wafers later in the 0.25-micron cycle, the executive said: "I don't think I'm leaving the door open. Our methodology wouldn't accommodate us. Once we start and qualify a process, we'll move fairly rapidly. I don't think we'll go backwards and be able to qualify 300mm tools later. I think we'll probably be on 200mm only."

Some industry sources said Intel and Motorola represent two different approaches to introducing two new key technologies: 300mm wafers and deep-UV lithography. Intel feels it's safer technologically to introduce them separately while Motorola believes it can achieve considerable cost savings by the combined implementation of both. No comment could be obtained from Motorola.

On this, Mr. Thompson would only say: "We definitely are along the lines of risk adverse. Fundamentally, our thinking is deep UV first--and that's a separate kind of decision for us--and then the next wafer size. What drives us to the next wafer size is just looking at it from a cost-effective standpoint. When is it appropriate for us to make the change and still be cost effective?"

The important cost-effective factors to be considered in moving to 300mm wafers would be the throughput of the equipment, its cost relative to 200mm equipment and its factory footprint, Mr. Thompson said. "If we can get those to line up properly, then it will be to our advantage for use to move."

He said Intel has shortened its development cycle to such an extent that it may be able to make technology decisions such as moving to 0.25-micron "earlier than others." The executive added: "It looks like we're a little out of synch with the industry. I think it's just that we're ready now to go with quarter micron and the (300mm) equipment set isn't there and so it just doesn't fit with our technology cycle."

Mr. Thompson declined comment when asked if deep-UV lithography would be used in Intel's 0.25-micron process, although he said the current I-line steppers would be used.

Asked if he could explain the differences in approach being taken by Intel and Motorola, the Intel executive said: "We've been constructing very large factories. We're about at the point in our infrastructure standpoint where we can support those. If you're constructing smaller factories, I suspect it puts a burden on your infrastructure."

At the recent Semicon/West show, 300mm wafer equipment was a hot topic, in stark contrast to Semicon/West 94 when the equipment makers were less than enthusiastic about the push of device manufacturers to the larger-diameter wafer.

Mr. Thompson said: "I was very surprised to see how many companies were talking about 300mm and what they had to offer with several companies showing equipment, various capabilities and the formation of teams among themselves. It was very impressive."