Company News
-- Semiconductor International, 2/1/2001
Sputtered Films (Santa Barbara, Calif.) shipped its first Endeavor AT cluster system to a leading U.S. packaging company. A second system is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2001. The system will be used to deposit critical underbump metalization layers on 125-200 mm wafers.Motorola Semiconductor Product Sector (Austin, Texas) and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Berlin) signed a multi-year joint research and development agreement. Motorola will invest several million dollars and assign technologists to the R&D activities in Germany. The projects focus on interconnect systems technology; circuits and systems modeling; microelectronic devices and process technology; reliability and environmental impact of microelectronics systems; and bio- and optoelectronic devices.
Tosoh SMD (Grove City, Ohio) raised sputtering target prices 5-25% depending on target material and type. The largest increase is on tantalum (Ta) targets to address the supply problems with worldwide Ta raw material shortages. Titanium target prices increased 10-15% on average and aluminum targets 5-7%.
Mettler Toledo (Urdorf, Switzerland) and Thornton (Boston) merged their analytical process businesses, with Thornton becoming part of Mettler Toledo's business unit. Their existing leadership teams head each unit.
FSI International Inc. (Chaska, Minn.) received an order for its first ANTARES CX advanced cleaning system from a leading U.S. chipmaker. The system is scheduled to ship in the second half of 2001. It will be used for 300 mm processing for defect removal in BEOL copper and low-k dielectric interconnect structures.
MAX International Engineering Group LLC (North Bergen, N.J.) signed an agreement with Nortel Network HPOCS GaAs Fabs to provide operational support for the next two years, supporting the fab staff to improve operations. The project focuses on enhancing throughput and cycle times by improving the equipment and operation efficiencies.
STMicroelectronics (ST, Geneva) agreed to acquire Portland Group Inc. (PGI, Portland, Ore.). ST will invest $17.1M to acquire full ownership of PGI's operations, including the product portfolio, know-how and technologies.
Micron Laser Systems AB (Taby, Sweden) received a repeat order for its MP80+ laser pattern generator from a leading U.S. high-tech company. The system is scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2001 and will be used for photomask production. The company also received an order for its Omega6005 laser pattern generator from a Japanese maskshop.
Silicon Valley Group (San Jose) received an order for a Micrascan V 193 nm step-and-scan lithography system from International SEMATECH's Advanced Technology Development Facility. The unit will be used to support the development of 193 nm technology for its member companies.
Infineon Technologies (Richmond, Va.) was given approval by Gov. Jim Gilmore to expand its semiconductor plant to produce 300 mm wafers. The governor approved a $3M grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist with site preparation, and the commonwealth will provide a $2M educational grant to increase Virginia's semiconductor technology capacity at higher education facilities. Production is scheduled to start in early 2002.
IMEC (Leuven, Belgium) licensed its 0.25 µm CMOS technology to Micronas GmbH (Zurich, Switzerland). The technology will be used for Micronas' future-generation, high-performance, full-custom mixed-signal products manufactured at its Freiburg, Germany, facility.
Prodeo Technologies Inc. (Tempe, Ariz.) received ~$2M multiple follow-on orders for its CVD dielectric chemical delivery system from a leading chemical provider. The systems are expected to ship throughout the first quarter of 2001.
Brooks Automation Inc. (Chelmsford, Mass.) acquired the Daifuku Co. Ltd. business unit and made it part of Brooks Automation-Japan. The acquisition enables the company to provide direct sales and support to customers in Japan.
Abbie Gregg Inc. (AGI, Tempe, Ariz.) completed industrial engineering and programming for the first GaAs production fab operations to be constructed by Arima Broadband Semiconductor Corp. in Taiwan. Lockwood Greene engineers jointly designed the facility with local firms Fei & Cheng Associates and FCP Engineering Consultants Inc. AGI's Jupiter software was used to analyze tool capacity, cleanroom space and associated capital, and fit up costs based on multiple product mix and volume scenarios.
Genus Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) received an order for its atomic layer deposition system from a major semiconductor manufacturer. The system will be used for the development of advanced dielectric-constant (high-k) structures in logic gate stack applications.
