Multiple Applied Materials' Compass Inspection Systems Ordered for AMD's Athlon Copper Microprocessor Fab
Compass(TM) System's Rapid Patterned Wafer Inspection Capability Is Key To AMD's Choice
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 15, 2001-- Applied Materials, Inc. has received multiple orders for the Compass(TM) defect detection system from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) for its semiconductor plant AMD Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany. The Compass systems will be used to inspect patterned wafers during the production of AMD's copper-based AMD Athlon(TM) microprocessors.
Markus Keil, module manager for CMP and Cu Plating of AMD Fab 30, said, ``This system, with its unique defect detection technology, should make a positive contribution to our product yields. The Compass' combination of speed and sensitivity to a wide range of defect geometries will enable us to use Compass as an integral part of our Athlon production sequence.''
Introduced in June 2000, Compass is the industry's first patterned wafer inspection system designed to detect critical defects in sub-100 nanometer devices at the high speeds required for chipmakers' volume production lines. The Compass OmniView(TM) multi-perspective laser scanning technology provides accurate detection of a wide variety of defect types across all process layers irrespective of device or defect geometries. Users can easily adjust the system's sensitivity and throughput for different materials, patterns, layers and production requirements. This capability enables the rapid in-line detection of a range of process problems for early correction, minimal yield loss and early revenue realization.
``Compass provides the high sensitivity required to find and identify critical yield-limiting defects at speeds needed for rapid feedback and root-cause isolation before major yield loss has occurred,'' said Gilad Almogy, vice president and co-general manager of Applied Materials' Process Diagnostics and Control Group. ``We are experiencing a exceptional level of business activity from the leading semiconductor manufacturers interested in the productivity gains offered by our comprehensive range of defect reduction solutions.''
In addition to Compass, Applied Materials' defect reduction solutions include Excite(TM), a unique cost-effective tool monitor for both blanket and patterned wafers, and the industry-leading SEMVision(TM) cX automated review and defect classification system.
According to Dataquest, the market for patterned wafer inspection systems totaled $408 million in 1999 and is projected to grow to $1.9 billion by 2005. The five year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for this high growth market segment of 30.2 percent well exceeds the industry average of 20.8 percent.
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets. AMD produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and integrated circuits for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $2.9 billion in 1999. (NYSE: AMD - news).
Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT - news) is a leader of the Information Age and the world's largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials' web site is appliedmaterials.com.
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