Heard on the Beat: Samsung not buying AMAT's implanters
Silicon Strategies
06/01/2004, 7:55 PM ET
Contrary to a recent report in Silicon Strategies, an equipment buyer from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. denied the chip maker is buying the next-generation ion implanter from Applied Materials Inc. Instead, Samsung continues to procure implanters from its existing vendors--Axcelis Technologies Inc. and Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc., according to the South Korean company.
At the same time, Samsung has also reportedly ordered equipment from ASML, Applied, KLA-Tencor, Novellus Systems, and other vendors in recent times, according to sources in the industry.
In fact, Samsung is on a spending spree. The company is projected to top Intel Corp. as the world's biggest spender in terms of overall capital expenditures for 2004, according to IC Insights Inc. (see April 22 story).
The capital spending targets between Samsung and Intel are "very close," said Evan Chang, semiconductor equipment buyer for Samsung's U.S. arm, Samsung America Inc.
In a brief interview with Silicon Strategies, Chang denied that Samsung has procured a new implanter from Applied. As reported back in February, Applied began shipping its next-generation, yet-to-be-announced single-wafer ion implanter, dubbed the QuantumX. One of the first implanters was supposedly going to Samsung, according to a report from investment banking firm Mitchell, Detwiler & Co. in Boston (see Feburary 25 story).
Applied is indeed shipping the QuantumX, a high-current implanter. Intel has selected the implanter for the 65-nm node, while the chip giant will continue to use Varian for the medium-current work (see April 26 story).
However, Samsung claims that it is not buying the QuantumX from Applied. "The fact is that Samsung never purchased Applied's implanter system nor has Samsung [received a] demo," Chang insisted. "We are not procuring that system from Applied right now."
Samsung reportedly procures its implanters from Axcelis and Varian. Chang said Samsung's implanter vendors are in the United States, but he declined to elaborate.
Samsung also procures scanners from ASML Holding NV and other vendors. It uses Applied's tools for CVD, KLA-Tencor's machines for metrology, and Novellus' products for copper plating, according to sources.
Chang declined to comment, saying it does not discuss its vendor relationships. |
