Sony to Start 300mm Wafer Plant for High-Temp Si-TFT-LCD
October 5, 2000 (TOKYO) -- Sony Corp. has drawn up a different plan for its new 300mm wafer plant than LSI makers, with a sharp focus on LCDs.
Hiroyuki Matsumoto
The company plans to accumulate wafer manufacturing technology at the time of mass production of 300mm wafers in 2002, centering on high-temperature polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistor liquid-crystal displays (Si-TFT-LCDs). Sony is among the world's two most competent manufacturers of high-temperature polycrystalline Si-TFT-LCDs.
Hiroyuki Matsumoto, senior vice president of Sony's semiconductor network company, talks about his company's strategy.
Nikkei Microdevices: Your firm announced the construction plan for a new plant for 300mm wafers. What will it do?
Matsumoto: Yes. Sony plans initial capital expenditures of 10 billion yen within this fiscal year, and then a cumulative 100 billion yen by the end of fiscal 2005, to construct the new semiconductor plant in Kumamoto prefecture. Our aim for the establishment of the plant is to further expand the manufacturing capacity of high-temperature polycrystalline Si-TFT-LCDs and charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors currently produced at Sony Kokubu Corp. We will have the integrated production lines in Kumamoto, including the downstream processes for the wafers. We intend to start mass production of LCDs for projectors and viewfinders in 2002. For LCD production, we will use round quartz glass substrates with a diameter of 300mm instead of silicon.
Q: What is the significance to your company of the capital expenditures decided this time?
A: The construction is in line with our new "electronics-strengthening" policy hammered out by our firm's new president, who took the post in June this year. In intensifying the production of electronics products -- Sony's strength -- we wish to get a long lead on other makers in LCDs and CCDs, especially for imaging devices.
Q: What is your firm's schedule for start-up of the plant?
A: We are planning to begin the construction of the plant in November this year, and activate it for operation in October 2001. As for the production of LCDs and CCDs, we intend to mass-produce 3,000 wafers for high-temperature polycrystalline Si-TFT-LCDs per month in 2002, and 2,000 CCDs in 2003. We plan to increase that to 12,000 wafers monthly for both combined by the end of 2005.
Q: The new plant will be Sony's first plant for 300mm wafers. Why has Sony decided on its construction?
A: There are three reasons. First, we will be able to produce large-size panels and chips efficiently through such 300mm technology. Second, we will be able to enhance our capacity in a short period. Because the imaging devices market is expected to grow rapidly, it is indispensable to have flexibility and ability to increase capacity in a short period of time to meet demand. Third, we will be able to achieve cost reduction. We will see cost advantages over the years after the plant starts up.
Q: What are the sizes of a Si-TFT-LCD and a CCD chip?
A: The area of a panel will be approximately in the range of 14mm x 10mm to 35mm x 30mm. The CCD chip area will be the same as that, and we can say that either of them will be pretty much larger than an ordinary LSI chip.
Q: Some analysts point out that the manufacturing cost will not be lowered because manufacturing equipment for 300mm wafers and substrates is expensive.
A: We are not worried about that. The cost is likely to increase at some point. But if we do not start, we won't be able to take advantage of the expenditure, nor expected returns on it. Even if there's a risk, we are determined to go ahead with introducing the 300mm technology.
Q: However, the less risk, the better, right?
A: Of course. I believe we can expedite a plant start-up by producing devices with less risk. That's why we will start from the mass production of LCDs. Even when we introduced technology for 200mm wafers, we started from high-temperature polycrystalline Si-TFT-LCDs.
Q: Why can you say that the risk is less with LCDs?
A: There are three reasons for that. The first reason is that we have less production processes. The processes are 1/2-1/3 of those for ordinary LSI chips. The second reason is that we don't need the state-of-the-art process technologies. For example, high-temperature polycrystalline Si-TFT-LCDs only require a 1-micron process rule. And the third reason is that the LCD market is expanding steadily. Our whole LCD manufacturing on a value basis are expected to double this year, from 40 billion yen in 1999 to 80 billion yen. The Si-TFT-LCDs will account for the bulk of the 80 billion yen in manufacturing.
Q: Your firm will mass-produce CCDs, using 300mm wafers following LCD production. Please describe that.
A: Yes. The number of processes for CCDs is about the same as that for an ordinary LSI chip, but its design rule is loose, or about 0.25-micron. The CCD market also is expected to move firmly, and CCD production is suitable to come next to LCD production.
Q: Is your company planning to manufacture ordinary MOS-LSI chips, other than LCDs or CCDs?
A: Nothing is planned yet. But I am positive that if there's a plan on MOS-LSI production at the new plant in the future, we will be able to make the most of our LCD/CCD manufacturing expertise.
(Nikkei Microdevices) |
