INDUSTRY NEWS

ORDER DESK

TSMC sets order record

Applied Materials claims Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) set a semiconductor industry record for the largest known single equipment order with the chipmaker's recent $182-million purchase of Applied process tools. The order includes Mirra CMP systems, Centura etch systems, Endura PVD tools, and a variety of plasma silane and TEOS CVD systems. The bulk of the order was booked in the second quarter of Applied's 1997 fiscal year. Other portions were booked in the first and third quarters. The systems will be installed at TSMC's new Fab 5 and several other fabs.

Sematech taps CVC Products

Thin-film process tool manufacturer CVC Products of Rochester, NY, has received an order from Sematech for an advanced copper interconnection deposition system. The consortium will use the cluster tool for exploring copper interconnects as a replacement for aluminum in the production of ICs with geometries of 0.25 µm and smaller. Copper has lower electrical resistivity and better reliability than aluminum, CVC notes. The New York Center for Advanced Thin Film Technology at the State University of New York­Albany completed a collaborative feasibility study of CVC's MOCVD copper technology in 1996.

AG sells eight RTP tools

AG Associates of San Jose has received a multimillion-dollar order for eight Heatpulse 8108 rapid thermal process systems from a major DRAM manufacturer based in North America. The systems will be used for annealing and salicidation applications in the production of DRAMs with 0.35- and 0.25-µm linewidths, the vendor says.

MicroHome | Search | Current Issue | MicroArchives
Buyers Guide | Media Kit