Major Semiconductor Foundry UMC Places Order for Applied Materials' 300mm Producer S Systems
Producer System's Proven High Productivity and Reliability Seen As Key to 300mm Production Ramp
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2001-- Applied Materials, Inc. announced today that United Microelectronics Company (UMC), a leading semiconductor foundry, has ordered multiple Producer® S 300 CVD (chemical vapor deposition) systems for its new 300mm Fab 12A located in Tainan City, Taiwan. This purchase further extends Applied Materials' leadership in supplying 300mm equipment to the semiconductor industry. UMC will use the systems to deposit a variety of dielectric films for the production of advanced sub-0.18 micron device applications.
``The 300mm Producer S system's unique architecture is an ideal match for our foundry business, which requires a combination of economic operation, high productivity and flexibility in running multiple process technologies,'' said I.J. Wu, vice president of UMC. ``The system's proven production track record on 200mm wafers was a critical factor in our decision. We want to quickly begin volume production with these selected systems with minimum risk, which is very essential to the success of our new 300mm fabs.''
Producer S is a compact version of Applied Materials' Producer platform, offers the same high-throughput capability as the Producer and a footprint that is up to 30 percent smaller. This ``shrink'' model allows chipmakers to increase system productivity per square foot, enabling more efficient utilization of valuable fab floor space.
``UMC is rapidly accelerating its use of the most advanced technologies for its expanding foundry operations, and we are very pleased to be working with them as they transition to 300mm processing,'' said Farhad Moghadam, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Dielectric Systems and Modules Product Business Group. ``Since its introduction, the Producer system has proven to be remarkably reliable, flexible and cost effective for 200mm processing. These same benefits easily translate to 300mm manufacturing as our customers ramp up their new operations.''
Introduced in July 1998, the award-winning Producer system is distinguished by its exceptionally compact footprint and high throughput capability. The system can accommodate up to three Twin Chamber(TM) modules. Wafers are transferred in pairs to each module, which contains two identical single-wafer chambers. Each Twin-Chamber module shares many common subsystems, such as vacuum and gas delivery, while retaining individual power and other process parameters needed for superior process control. Producer's broad portfolio of processes covers virtually every kind of dielectric CVD application.
The Producer system also offers integrated metrology technology that measures film thickness and uniformity to ensure quality processing at very high throughput rates. To virtually eliminate the emission of global-warming perfluorocompound (PFC) gases, the system utilizes Applied Materials' Remote Clean(TM) technology, which was recently distinguished by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an exemplary product for global climate preservation.
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. |
