JTJ,
I'm probably not qualified to make a thorough technical analysis
concerning copper since I don't have any 1st hand experience
working with it, but, I have some opinions that may have some
credibility.
If there is a market for high purity copper deposition
and etching you can be sure AMAT will offer the enabling
technology to utilize it, that is their forte. Semiconductor deposition
and etch equipment has some very stringent requirements concerning
particle control, uniformity of deposition/etch, contamination control,
wafer thru-put per hour, repeatability, uptime and servicability. Couple
this with engineering support, world class service and parts support, longevity and industry experience and you have another niche to
add to the AMAT arsenal. There may be competition but really the
only thing that has changed is the materials being used, the rest of
the technology should be "Plug-N-Play" with some tuning of existing
toolsets to enable the technology.
Just my opinion,
BB |
