ATMI Enters Power Discrete Market
Adds Mattson Batch Silicon Epitaxial Tools to Meet Customer Demand
DANBURY, Conn./MESA, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2000--ATMI, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATMI - news), today announced that it is expanding its silicon epitaxial technology to enter the power discrete semiconductor market.
The batch silicon epitaxy expansion at ATMI's Epitronics Services business -- the world's largest independent specialty epitaxial foundry -- is a key part of its on-going strategy to provide a comprehensive range of specialty epitaxial services to meet all customer requirements.
To serve the $6 billion power discrete marketplace, Epitronics is expanding its specialty epitaxy capacity by adding several Mattson EpiPro 5000 batch tools. These tools are capable of depositing thick, single or multiple, epitaxial layers of single crystal silicon. Mattson will assist Epitronics in developing and establishing the inaugural epitaxial processes for discrete devices. The initial system is being installed. Additional tools will be added as customers demand additional capacity.
Phil Yin, President of ATMI's Services Business, said, ``Epitronics is a world-leading foundry for specialty silicon epitaxy. Expanding our service offerings into power discrete semiconductors -- a market growing at nearly 9% compounded annually -- is good business. With the Mattson batch tools added to our existing 36 single wafer tools, we can process well over 100,000 wafers each month to meet customer-specified epitaxial requirements. Adding batch tools for our entree into the power discrete market will further extend Epitronics' reputation for meeting tight specifications with fast cycle time, high quality, and superior yield.''
Mike Tischler, Vice-President of R&D and Business Development, said, ``The power semiconductor segment of the semiconductor industry is experiencing strong growth. These circuits are the critical link between an integrated circuit (IC) and the rest of the world - the brawn that provides the power for an IC's brain. In portable applications for example, advanced discrete power semiconductors enable lower power operation, resulting in longer battery life. Adding the Mattson EpiPro tools complements Epitronics established single wafer tool capability, and gives Epitronics the ability to meet all our customers' silicon epitaxial requirements.''
About Epitaxial Technology
An epitaxial film -- epi -- is a layer of single crystal semiconductor seeded from a substrate's (wafer's) crystalline structure, offering advanced features that differentiate it from the substrate wafer.
Epi allows for novel structures such as high resistivity layers over heavily doped buried layers, for dopants to be incorporated into the epi layers, and for freedom of contaminants within the epi layers.
These epi advantages make it an essential step in the fabrication of CMOS, BiCMOS, and analog and power devices. Device manufacturers are able to manipulate and tightly control the dopant concentration of device structures, which can result in a tenfold increase in yield during the manufacturing process.
Epitronics is a leading supplier of specialty epitaxial services to the semiconductor industry. Epitronics' Silicon Division in Mesa, Arizona provides silicon epitaxial services for thin film growth of single layers, on buried layers and patterns, and advanced bipolar, CMOS, BiCMOS, MEMS, and discrete device structures on wafers up to 200 mm. The III-V Division in Phoenix, Arizona provides GaAs, AlGaAs, InGaP, InGaAs, InAlAs, and InP epitaxial services for fiber optic, digital communication, and wireless applications. Epitronics is ISO-9002 and QS-9000 certified.
ATMI provides specialty materials and related equipment and services to the worldwide semiconductor industry. Related equipment includes materials packaging systems, delivery systems, sensors, and a full line of environmental equipment. Services include materials management, equipment servicing, and thin film deposition. |
