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

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (33371)	11/30/1999 9:29:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 70976

Tuesday November 30, 7:30 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Applied Materials Cuts the Cost of Epitaxial Processing With New Epi xP Centura System New Integrated Oxidation Process Can Slash Post-Epi Cleaning Costs by Up to 90% SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1999--Applied Materials, Inc. introduces its new Epi xP Centura© system to enable lower-cost epitaxial (epi) wafer processing. By maximizing the productivity of the company's industry-leading Epi Centura system and integrating new pre- and post-epi processing features to the platform, the EPI xP can significantly reduce total epi production costs. The Epi xP is being offered as both a new system and as a complete upgrade package for Applied Materials' extensive installed base of Epi Centura systems. ``The price of epi wafers has dropped significantly in the last two years, so reducing production costs has become a critical issue for wafer manufacturers,' said Grant Imper, general manager of Applied Materials' Epi division. ``The Epi xP Centura is a very attractive solution for lowering total epi wafer processing costs, especially for customers who supply epi optimized substrates (EOS) for advanced semiconductor devices. ``To achieve significant cost of ownership reductions, we've combined a number of new productivity and process quality features with some major innovations, such as our new FLO-Zone(TM) oxidation technology that greatly reduces post-epi cleaning cost. Since these new features are also retrofittable to previous Epi Centura systems, customers can apply the same cost benefits on existing systems as well.' According to Rose Associates, a market research firm, the market for 200mm epi wafers is expected to grow in a four year period (1999-2003) at a combined annual rate of 32 percent, with consumption expected to rise from 487 msi (millions of square inches) in 1999 to 1,469 msi by 2003. In addition to more than 10 new features that maximize system performance and provide a reduction in equipment and process COO (cost of ownership) of more than 30 percent, the Epi xP Centura introduces an integrated oxidation process called FLO-Zone. Traditionally wafers were taken from the epi system to be wet cleaned and oxidized in another system. These additional steps were needed to remove built-up contamination from the cassette case and cleanroom environment. With the Epi xP, a clean oxide layer is deposited on the wafers while they are still in the system, directly following the epi process, potentially reducing post-epi cleaning costs by more than 90 percent. ``Integrating ultra-clean post-epi oxidation on the Epi xP Centura has a dramatic cost-cutting effect on the epi wafer process because it allows customers to use one system to do the work of two,' noted Imper. ``Using FLO-Zone technology, our customers can get a clean, ultra-thin oxide on the epi surface, with no impact on epi system throughput and a potentially large gain in overall factory throughput. ``Having deposition and oxidation on the epi system also potentially allows customers to regain a large amount of facility space previously devoted to oxidation and cleaning systems,' said Dr. Paul Comita, director of technology at Applied Materials' Epi Division. ``These, and other innovative advancements, such as Auxiliary Doping technology, can reduce the cost of manufacturing epi wafers and stimulate the use of epi-optimized substrates in more applications like high-speed logic, advanced DRAMs and communications devices.' Standard configuration of the Epi xP Centura is with three process chambers for maximum productivity and minimum floorspace. Customers with existing Epi Centura systems can also benefit from a new package that retrofits a third chamber to their two-chamber systems with new Epi xP features. Applied Materials is also developing a production-worthy 300mm version of this system. Volume shipments of the Epi xP Centura are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2000. The Epi xP Centura's enhancements, including FLO-Zone technology, have already been placed in beta site production by wafer suppliers and chipmakers in the U.S., Europe and Japan. 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.

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (33371)	11/30/1999 10:25:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 70976

Philips spends $250 million to expand Netherlands fab Semiconductor Business News (11/30/99, 09:33:39 AM EDT) NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands -- Philips Semiconductors today opened a $250 million expansion to its MOS4YOU facility here, bringing the total investment to nearly $1 billion since the fab opened in 1996. The expansion will increase the production capacity of MOS4 from 200,000 to 300,000 8-inch wafers per year. "The expansion continues Philips Semiconductors investment in state-of-the-art facilities to meet our customers needs, and enables us to meet our goal of maintaining technology leadership," said Stuart McIntosh, chief operations officer at Philips Semiconductors. "We anticipated the timing of the upswing in the semiconductor industry and invested to increase our production capacity at the right time -- when our customer demand requested it. MOS4 is our flagship facility and is already processing wafers using our state-of-the-art, 0.18-micron CMOS technology." The Nijmegen fab is the largest semiconductor manufacturing complex in Europe, with five fabs on the site. It employs over 4,000 skilled process engineers, designers and support staff, and approximately 400 new jobs will be created in Nijmegen next year, 200 of which are in new expansion.