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

To: stockdoctor who wrote (15302)	2/2/1998 9:56:00 AM
From: Darin	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 70976

Sorry to interupt the contest, but: SEMI explores ways to aid troubled Asian chip makers MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--A working group of chief financial officers from semiconductor-production equipment suppliers has been formed by a trade organization here to explore sources of capital for long-term growth and financing in Asia's economically troubled markets. During Semicon Korea equipment trade conference in Seoul last month, South Korea's big three chip makers met with their suppliers seeking financial assistance while they waited for the won to recover against the U.S. dollar and the country's global banking arrangements to be finalized (see Jan. 22 story). In addition, chip makers in other Asian countries are struggling with the fallout of the region's monetary metldown, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI trade group, based in Mountain View. SEMI officials said the Asian financial crisis has made it difficult for semiconductor manufacturers in the region to sustain the liquidity necessary to continue planned investments for facilities and new technology. SEMI's working group will investigate ways in which equipment and materials suppliers can address the crisis and help semiconductor-realted industries in Asia. The task force will be chaired by Robert Smith, chief financial officer, Novellus Systems Inc. of San Jose. "The situation in Asia is of great concern to SEMI and to all of our members," said Stan Myers, president of SEMI. "The Asian markets are an integral and critical part of the global economy, and we believe that the strengthening of the Asian economy will lead to the stabilization of currencies, improve overall financial health and ensure open markets. As an international association, SEMI recognizes the need to address these issues on a global level and that the success of our industry is heavily dependent on the health of our members and their customers as global trading partners." Last week, Myers met with key government leaders in Washington to discuss the ongoing situation in Asia. During the meeting, he reaffirmed SEMI's support of both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) efforts to revive the health of the Asian economies and U.S. efforts to help stabilize the Asian currency markets. Use of U.S. funds to aid Asian chip makers--in particular Korean DRAM suppliers--has been questioned by some U.S. semiconductor manufacturers.

To: stockdoctor who wrote (15302)	2/2/1998 9:56:00 AM
From: Darin	Respond to of 70976

To All, Applied Materials Unveils Its Total Solution to Patterned Wafer Defect Detection New WF-73X Systems Provide Full Range of Industry-Leading Defect Detection and Classification Capabilities for Rapid Yield Ramping and High Throughput In-line Monitoring SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 1998-- Applied Materials, Inc. introduces a new, completely integrated pair of wafer defect detection systems that offer semiconductor manufacturers a total solution for achieving faster yield gains throughout the wafer manufacturing cycle. The two systems, the WF-736 DUO and WF-731, are aimed at different applications but work together to provide the most advanced detection technology and productivity needed for the full range of wafer defect inspection requirements - from early process development and fab ramp-up to mature manufacturing. The WF-736 DUO is designed for engineering analysis applications where very high sensitivity is critical, while the WF-731 is a high-throughput system focused on high-productivity production monitoring. ''These systems take a giant leap forward in inspection technology and performance,'' said Dan Vilenski, chairman of Applied Materials' Process Diagnostics and Control Product Business Group. ''This is the industry's first family of inspection systems to share a common architecture and technology that chipmakers can use to quickly ramp device yields to production levels and maintain these yields in high-volume operation. We are now placing WF-series systems in Applied Materials' product development labs so customers can perform advanced defect characterization with many of Applied Materials' wafer processing systems.'' According to G. Dan Hutcheson, president of VLSI Research, a market research firm, ''Applied Materials' five-channel darkfield-brightfield technology represents a totally new perspective in defect detection. It is potentially an enabling technology that will allow chipmakers to integrate new processes and reach high product yield in less time. The WF-73X systems stand out in offering a unique combination of advanced technology and complete system compatibility. These systems should establish a strong position in a market that is set to grow rapidly over the next several years as chipmakers look for better yield enhancement strategies.'' Nearly $20 million in advance orders for WF-73X systems have been received from chipmakers in the U.S., Europe and Taiwan. Based on early evaluation of the technology, five customers have already placed repeat orders for the systems. Production shipments have begun, and units are now being installed at multiple customer sites. VLSI Research notes that the market for wafer inspection systems is one of the fastest growing segments of semiconductor manufacturing technology, driven by the rapid shrinking of device geometries and development of new manufacturing technologies. Defect detection plays a key role in keeping processes and yields under control. The market research firm estimates the market for defect inspection equipment at $571 million for 1997 and projects it to grow to $1388 million by 2001. ''This is the Total Solutions(TM) approach our customers have been looking for,'' Vilenski noted. ''Previously, yield analysis and production monitoring could only be performed by different kinds of systems with different architectures and operating principals. With their five-channel capability and common architecture, these new WF-73X systems are generating tremendous interest for use at every level in the device, including the most difficult applications in CMP and advanced interconnect structures.'' Industry's Most Advanced Inspection Technology The new WF-736 DUO system combines Applied Materials' proprietary 4-channel Perspective Darkfield Imaging (PDI) with a new Integrated Normal Perspective (INP) brightfield capability to detect light scattered from particles and pattern defects. The 5-channel combination of darkfield and brightfield detectors provides the exceptional sensitivity needed for process development or yield analysis applications. The brightfield image is analyzed in parallel with the four darkfield images to greatly enhance the system's sensitivity to surface defects as well as defects found in prior layers. The new WF-731 system uses the same PDI technology with enhanced image analysis techniques for production monitoring applications where maximum throughput is critical to immediately detect deviations from ideal process conditions. The WF-731 offers a throughput of 34 wafers per hour, plus the flexibility to run at higher sensitivity if needed. The WF-731 can also be easily field-retrofitted to WF-736 configurations. Common Platform for Maximum Value in Production Both the WF-736 DUO and WF-731 systems are based on Applied Materials' WF-73X platform with extensive commonality of hardware and software, allowing customers, for the first time, to standardize on one inspection system design within the fab. Both systems share PDI detection technology and many process recipe elements so that inspection data is comparable and transferable between systems. The systems also share the same operating characteristics, maintenance and spare parts. On-the-Fly Automatic Defect Classification The WF-736 DUO and WF-731 both offer the industry's fastest method for automatically tracking defects during production. Offered as an option, ''on-the-fly'' automatic defect classification (ADC) sorts 100 percent of all candidate defects, providing immediate notification of defect excursions and minimizing production losses. Because all defect information is acquired during, not after, the scan, there is no need for rescanning and no reduction in system throughput. The Applied Materials Family Advantage The WF-73X systems directly complement Applied Materials' various process technologies and are already being installed within some Applied Materials' process development labs. This arrangement is expected to enable process developers to dramatically reduce the time necessary to eliminate potential process-induced defects. At the same time, customers may be able to take advantage of early defect characterization created during process development to more rapidly qualify processes and optimize defect performance shortly after system startup. 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 appliedmaterials.com.