'Round The Circuit

IBM realigns, reassigns

IBM has sold its disk-drive business to Hitachi and realigned its microelectronics division as part of a company-wide strategy to hone Big Blue's competitive edge. The microelectronics giant also plans to lay off employees at its headquarters in Armonk, NY, and other business locations. The actions will result in pretax charges of $2 billion to $2.5 billion, most of them coming in the second quarter of 2002. The changes will lower annual operating expenses and strengthen IBM's market position, the company says.

The shake-up in the microelectronics division is part of IBM's shift away from what Nick Donofrio, senior vice president for technology and manufacturing, calls "maturing technologies." The chipmaker wants to focus on advanced technologies such as copper interconnects. By divesting its disk-drive division, IBM will receive $2.05 billion from Hitachi for all assets related to its hard-disk-drive (HDD) operations. The Japanese manufacturer will hold a majority stake in the unit, which it will operate as a stand-alone company in San Jose. Hitachi initially will own 70% of the new firm until assuming full ownership in three years. Not all of IBM's HDD operations are included in the transaction, however.

The CEO of the new company is Jun Naruse, corporate managing director of Hitachi and chief executive of Hitachi Data Systems. The COO will be Douglas Grose, the general manager of IBM's storage technology division. Hitachi forecasts approximately $5 billion in sales for FY03, rising to $7 billion by 2006.

NIST backs 'high-risk' R&D

Seeking to nurture "high-risk" research, NIST is once again offering award money through its Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The goal of the annual program is to foster development of technologies that will benefit the U.S. economy. Proposals entered before September 30, 2002, will be evaluated for future funding. For the first time, ATP applicants may submit proposals electronically through digitally signed documents. The program has set aside $60.7 million in awards for FY02. ATP is offering funds on a rolling basis so that some portion of the funds is available for applicants with outstanding proposals submitted year-round. Details of the contest are on the ATP Web site at www.atp.nist.gov/www/press/2002comp.htm.

Optical prototype passes test

An international collaborative research team has designed a successful extreme-UV lithography prototype. Carl Zeiss SMT recently ran successful tests of the NGL system in the radiometry lab of the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt on Berlin Electron Synchrotron BESSY 2 structures. Zeiss says the tests represent the first time 50-nm structures have been exposed in Europe. Zeiss designed the optics used in the lab on the Micro Exposure Tool (MET), which was developed with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in the United States and German federal funding. International Sema-tech is also backing the project.

MET operates at wavelengths of 11 to 13 nm, according to Zeiss. The tool's aspheric mirrors have an extremely small figuring error and surface roughness, the company claims. These attri-butes provide the high contrast and reflectivity on the mirror surface that ensure short exposure times and high throughput required for next-generation device production. Zeiss says Sematech will install the MET system and an optimized mirror set in a lab in order to develop extreme-UV photoresists.

Sematech offers test wafers

International Sematech is offering test wafers to chipmakers interested in developing spin-on low-k dielectric processes. The wafers are available on a limited basis through an agreement with JSR Microelectronics. Based in Sunnyvale, CA, JSR specializes in advanced semiconductor manufacturing materials. The wafers are processed using JSR LKD-5109 and Sematech's 800AZ dual-damascene reticle set. The substrates can be used for studying etch, cleans, deposition, and CMP processes. Information: brent.ames@sematech.org.

Vets have new mission

Two semiconductor industry veterans with more the 55 years of combined technological and business experience have launched a company specializing in a range of front-end–related services. Called Mission Critical, the San Jose–based start-up was established by Robert Welch and Terry Francis. Both men have worked with SEMI and selected industry suppliers, including extensive stints with Air Products, Air Liquide, and Applied Materials. Welch recently completed consulting contracts for Honeywell and Applied Materials, according to the start-up's brochure. A contamination control expert, Francis is a former senior director of the environmental solutions and products division of Applied Materials.

Mission Critical's focus is on semiconductor processes, equipment, gases, chemicals, and materials as well as metrology and support equipment. Services include global strategic planning, R&D planning, personnel assessment, and product planning. Among the company's goals is to assist clients in choosing the right strategy for maximizing return on technical and commercial resources. Information: 408/ 268-7824; MissionCritical@aol.com.