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To: Lord who wrote (12365)	2/25/1998 12:56:00 AM
From: Trader X	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17305

re: IPEC SFAM AMAT LRCX, any comment indeed! Me thinketh the Lord needs to catch up on some thread reading. No disrespect intended for you, Lord, but comment on these four stocks are an every day occurance on this thread. My personal fave is SFAM, and AV and I have a frendly little grudge match going concerning the relative merits vis-a-vis IPEC and SFAM. Your question struck me as most ironik (sic).

To: Lord who wrote (12365)	2/25/1998 1:10:00 AM
From: Andrew Vance	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17305

AV --LRCX only has the cleaning part of the CMP process and in its present condition, LRCX will not be trying to develop its own CMP tool. IF they choose to compete with AMAT in this arena, they have to do it by acquisition. IPEC looks to be the most logical candidate due to an already existing business relationship. However, timing right now is real bad. While there are other CMP players, I would say that AMAT, SFAM and IPEC are in one tier while the rest like Strausbaugh make up the second tier. AMAT is the 500lb Gorilla here and can force its way into any market it desires. they have the staff, resources, and the money to get into any business they want to. when you look at the suite of tools they provide, it made sense for them to get into this business since CMP is actually smack in the middle of the deposition and etch processes that they supply equipment for. Good CMPmakes their other tools and processes look even better. As always, one has to watch out for AMAT. On the subject of SFAM and IPEC, I lean toward IPEC because it took over Westech which was a very workable and production worthy system. So as not to get into an argument, I will rank IPEC #3 in this group. However, the market for CMP is big enough for all 3 to participate and be very profitable in. CMP will be needed for the interlevel dielectrics and metallization but work is being successfull done at the more basic levels such as Poly transistor levels. Funny thing about the Poly levels. You would never guess the slurry used to planarize poly. In actuality it is not even a grit slurry but, rather, your basic run of the mill DI water. Whatta hoot, planarize with a non polluting chemical. Bottom Line: this is a hot sector or will be a hot sector. you can't really go wrong with any of the players. SFAM and IPEC look to be the purest of players in this field. success by AMAT is diluted by its other equipment offerings. Andrew Gee-I never spoke with the Lord before. I hope this info puts things right between us<GGG>.