Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : SEMITOOL (SMTL):Is it a hold? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: geoffrey Wren who wrote (696)	6/8/1998 8:41:00 PM
From: SemiBull	Respond to of 973

Motorola has copper for SRAMs AUSTIN, Tex.--Motorola Inc. here today announced a high-performance CMOS process technology for fast SRAMs using enhanced contacts and copper metal interconnect. The 0.15-micron technology has been used to produce a fully-functional 4-Mbit SRAMs, according to the company's Semiconductor Products Sector. Motorola said the first SRAM products using the new copper technology will be available in sample quantities during the fourth quarter of 1998. Until now, previous announced copper interconnect technology has been aimed at next-generation logic ICs, mainly microprocessors and ASICs. Details on the new SRAM technology will be presented this week at the 1998 Symposium on VLSI Technology in Honolulu. "Our customers have asked us for higher levels of performance and lower system costs," said Bertrand Cambou, senior vice president and general manager of Motorola's Networking and Computing Systems Group. "We're meeting those demands with alternate process and manufacturing technology such as copper." Motorola and IBM Corp. have separately announced plans to commercially produce PowerPC processors with copper interconnect in stead of conventional aluminum wiring. IBM is now preparing to transfer its technology to a production fab in Burlington, Vt.., while Motorola is setting up its production in Austin. While the two are racing each other to the market with copper ICs, others chip makers are wrestling with the difficult issue of putting the metal into volume production (see feature from SBN's May 1 issue) Motorola said its SRAM technology will reduce the size of memory cells by 35% through enhanced contacts. The copper interconnect will also support chip densities 10 times greater than aluminum and last 10 times longer under stress conditions, according to the company's process experts. While Motorola said the new 4-Mbit SRAMs will be fast, the company did not provide specific estimates on speed gains from the process technology and copper interconnect.