SVGI's new product!
Tuesday July 11, 1:00 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Silicon Valley Group
SVG Rolls Out Xcelerate - the Industry's First Single Wafer Furnace RTP Targets Next-Generation Chip Manufacturing
Cycle Time, Productivity and Overall Thermal Processing Performance Set To Leapfrog Traditional RTP & Batch Systems
SAN JOSE, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing momentum behind the drive to a combined single wafer furnace based rapid thermal processing solution for next generation chip manufacturing took a major step forward today when Silicon Valley Group (Nasdaq: SVGI - news) rolled out the industry's first production worthy system here at the annual SEMICON West trade show in San Francisco. The tool, called Xcelerate, will target chipmakers critical thermal processing needs for next-generation device manufacturing, and provides SVG with the capability to offer its customers the broadest spectrum of thermal processing solutions.
According to Jeff Kowalski, SVG Thermal Systems President, ``Xcelerate is SVG's answer to the industry's thermal processing requirements and the customers' demand for better wafer uniformity, cycle time, throughput, cost of ownership and overall tool performance. The new product combines all these benefits into a single platform solution. Single wafer thermal technology offers customers all the benefits of RTP, without its high cost of ownership and productivity shortcomings.''
Xcelerate targets critical front-end process steps requiring rapid thermal capability. High quality gate oxides ranging in thickness from 20 to 40 angstroms have been grown using both wet and dry oxidation ambients, with and without chlorine. This translates into dielectric properties of much higher quality, which is crucial for thin gate oxides. Uniformity, (1 sigma), for thin wet oxides is typically 0.5 percent for 35 angstroms films, and 0.6 percent for 25 angstroms. The new rapid thermal furnace is also well suited for ion implant activation anneals, where higher anneal temperatures activate more of the dopant while maintaining thermal budget requirements.
Xcelerate provides a throughput of 120 wafers per hour (wph) and footprint is optimized by a unique vertically stacked process chamber configuration. Additionally, Xcelerate builds on reliable furnace technology, while incorporating high throughput single wafer handling. The system is capable of achieving half the cost of ownership, with the same footprint and twice the throughput of RTP systems. Xcelerate's use of traditional heater elements, rather than lamps, reduces consumables, and power consumption is also significantly lower.
``SVG Thermal Systems is a world class supplier of furnace technology,'' noted Papken Der Torossian, SVG chairman and CEO. ``Our new single wafer product not only extends furnace technology to meet the future requirements of advanced applications, it combines the flexibility and reduced thermal budget of single wafer processing with the low cost of ownership of large batch furnaces. At the same time, customers gain the benefit of taking an evolutionary step from existing batch furnace technology to our new single wafer furnace solution at the right technology node, rather than take a revolutionary step to new technology that brings with it higher costs and a long learning curve.''
Single wafer rapid thermal furnace (RTF) technology is particularly important to semiconductor foundries and ASIC suppliers who need to reduce development and production cycles while improving efficiency and reducing cost. In a foundry or ASIC environment, the Xcelerate system can reduce fab cycle times by up to 50 percent. The tool will complement traditional batch furnace systems and offer customers a low cost of ownership option for advanced geometries not available from traditional lamp based RTP systems.
About Silicon Valley Group
Silicon Valley Group is a leading manufacturer of automated wafer processing equipment for the worldwide semiconductor industry. The company designs, manufactures and markets technically sophisticated equipment used in the primary stages of semiconductor manufacturing. Its products include photolithography exposure tools; photoresist processing equipment; oxidation, diffusion and low-pressure chemical vapor deposition processing systems; atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition systems and precision optical components and systems. For more information, visit svg.com .
Forward-looking Statement Disclaimer: The matters discussed in this news release, and in particular statements made by the Chairman of SVG and the President of SVG Thermal Systems, include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including but not limited to difficulties encountered or the benefits derived from customers using the new cross performance Platform. For a complete review of the risks facing the Company, including economic conditions, industry conditions, trade environment and other risks, reference is made to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Particular reference is made to the Company's most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q, which detail such risk factors.
SOURCE: Silicon Valley Group |
