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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (33370)	11/30/1999 9:30:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 70976

Tuesday November 30, 7:32 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Applied Materials Sets a New Benchmark in Copper Electroplating With Industry's First Integrated System Electra Cu(TM) Integrated ECP Delivers Industry's First Integrated Anneal and Bevel Edge Clean Processes for Increased Electroplating Productivity and Higher Chip Yields SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1999-- Applied Materials, Inc. continues to advance copper electroplating technology with the announcement of its new Electra Cu(TM) Integrated ECP (ElectroChemical Plating) system that integrates copper deposition with critical heat treatment and wafer edge clean processes on a single platform. Annealing is a key step in the copper process flow that increases the conductivity of the deposited copper and stabilizes it for subsequent CMP (chemical mechanical polishing). Traditionally performed in a separate furnace, this process can now be done with the Electra Cu Integrated ECP system, saving customers costly cleanroom floorspace, increasing electroplating productivity, reducing cycle time and minimizing wafer contamination. Also integrated on the system is a new bevel clean process with guaranteed 3mm edge exclusion that enables higher yields by extending the number of usable die per wafer. ``The Electra Cu ECP system was designed with the architectural extendibility to provide customers with continuous advancements in copper deposition technology and production efficiency,' said Dr. Fusen Chen, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Copper and Aluminum Systems and Modules Product Group. ``With bevel clean capability and in-line annealing, the system delivers high yielding wafers and eliminates the batch furnace bottlenecks that inhibit the process flow. Chipmakers can now consolidate copper metallization into three well-defined steps -- barrier & seed layer deposition, electroplating and CMP. Applied Materials has optimized all three of these key technologies to ensure maximum overall equipment effectiveness and technical excellence.' The Electra Cu Integrated ECP system's high throughput is a result of its unique dual-blade wafer handling architecture. After the wafers have been electroplated in the dual ECP cells, they are sent to twin Bevel Clean chambers where excess copper is removed from the wafer backside and rim. A spin/rinse/dry process is followed by a rapid anneal treatment, also performed in dual chambers. With the edge clean and anneal steps, the system maintains an extremely high throughput of over 70 wafers per hour with no change in system footprint. Both 200mm and 300mm wafers can be accommodated by the same system platform. ``Our new integrated ECP system provides a major cost savings to our customers, reducing a process flow that formerly required three tools into a single system,' said Robin Cheung, general manager of Applied Materials' Copper Division. ``Film quality and yield are also significantly influenced by the integration of these processes. Having in-line anneal capability helps stabilize the copper microstructure and reduces wafer-to-wafer variation for consistent CMP removal. The bevel clean allows customers to obtain full copper coverage on the wafer, maximizing the die per wafer and minimizing cross contamination and defects.' Applied Materials' Electra Cu Integrated ECP system is specifically designed for volume manufacturing, featuring the industry's first computer-controlled closed-loop chemical management system that automatically controls the electrolyte and additive chemistries to specified levels. This capability ensures consistent plating performance and repeatable results while eliminating the need to perform off-line chemical sampling and analysis. A proprietary low-conductivity, low-acid electrolyte chemistry enables uniform, void-free copper fill. Dataquest, a market research firm, estimates that the market for copper deposition equipment, which includes barrier/seed and electroplating systems, will have a compound annual growth rate of 40 percent over the next four years (1999-2003). Multiple commitments for the Electra Cu Integrated ECP system have already been received from customers in the United States, Japan and Taiwan, including repeat orders for Applied Materials' ECP technology. These systems are expected to begin shipping in the fourth calendar quarter of 1999. Applied Materials is the only company that offers products for all of the key process steps required for dual damascene copper interconnect fabrication. In addition to its individual systems, the company also offers a unique multi-system Process Module(TM) approach that combines sequential processes into fully integrated units to provide customers with a rapid and cost-effective transition to new device technologies. These systems and modules are installed at Applied Materials' Equipment and Process Integration Center (EPIC) in Santa Clara, California, where customers can perform extensive process integration and evaluation work on their copper devices. Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol ``AMAT.' Applied Materials' web site is www.appliedmaterials.com.