ARe KLAC, NVLS, LRCX and SFAM-IPEC Ganging Up On The Gorilla AMAT?
KLA-Tencor collaborates with Novellus in copper alliance
By J. Robert Lineback
MUNICH--Metrology giant KLA-Tencor Corp. is
quietly and "unofficially" working with a
copper-processing alliance formed by Novellus Systems
Inc., Lam Research Corp., and SpeedFam-IPEC Inc. to
help develop defect inspection steps for
next-generation interconnects on ICs. The alliance hopes
to eventually persuade KLA-Tencor in join the
partnership as its members attempt to compete with a
common rival: Applied Materials Inc.
"We certainly have something in common in competing
with Applied Materials," noted Mark G. Fissel, general
manager of Novellus' Metals Group, which publicly
debuted the company's second-generation Sabre-xT
copper electroplating system during Semicon Europa 99
in Munich last week. Applied also used last week's
chip-manufacturing exhibition to formally introduce its
Millennia electrochemical plating system in Europe.
Novellus and its two official partners--Lam and
recently merged SpeedFam-IPEC--are jointly
characterizing dual-damascene process steps for copper
interconnects as part of their Damascus alliance formed
last year (see story from June 1, 1998, issue of SBN).
Some of the R&D is taking place in a new
30,000-square-foot process integration center located
in San Jose.
The alliance turned to KLA-Tencor for help with key
inspection steps needed after copper and dielectric
deposition and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).
Currently, KLA-Tencor's work is not considered an
official part of the Damascus alliance, Fissel
emphasized. "They are still keeping their involvement at
arms length," he said.
During a press conference in Munich last week, Fissel
predicted that five chip makers will be in volume
production using Novellus' copper electrofill tools at
the end of 1999. He would not identify those IC
manufacturers, except to say that the group includes
IBM Corp., which is already in volume production, and
Taiwan's UMC Group, which disclosed last week that it
will offer a 0.18-micron process this year (see April 12
story).
Novellus' second-generation Sabre-xT electroplating
tool will cost about $2.5 million and is capable of
handling up to 75 wafers (200-mm) per hour (see April
7 story).
Meanwhile, Applied's Millennia electroplating tool and a
new CMP copper process completes the company's initial
lineup for dual-damascene copper technology. The
Millennia is based on a platform with a closed-loop
chemical management system, a proprietary low-acid
electrolyte and an automated wafer-handling system
with dual-process cells. The CMP process has a flexible
membrane for low-pressure polishing, and an in situ
measurement system for endpoint detection (see April 8
story).
Applied now offers tools for electroplating, copper
seed and barrier deposition, CMP, rapid-thermal
processing (RTP), wafer inspection and
critical-dimension measurement of interconnect
structures. The only tools it does not offer for copper
interconnects are lithography and wet-wafer cleaning
systems.
Like Novellus' new electroplating system, the Millennia
also has a basic list price of about $2.5 million, said
Askok Sinha, president of Applied's Metal Deposition
Products Business Group, based in Santa Clara, Calif.
During a press conference in Munich last week, Applied
managers said about a dozen chip makers worldwide now
have the ability to produce IC products and prototype
chips using copper-metal interconnects. That number
could grow to just under 20 by year's end, they
predicted. |
