MICRO: 'Round the Circuit

Even though they fared better than the rest of their toolmaking counterparts, the top suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment saw revenues tumble 31% in 2001, reports VLSI Research. If it's any consolation, toolmakers industrywide experienced a 38% decline in sales from 2000 to 2001, the market research firm notes. The Top 10 suppliers sold $20.3 billion worth of products last year.

The precipitous sales decline caused a shakeup in this year's list. The first three suppliers in 2000 held their spots, but test equipment vendor Teradyne disappeared from the 2001 list altogether after taking the fourth spot last year. Advantest slid from seventh to 10th, the result of a 50.5% decrease in sales from $1.865 billion in 2000 to $924 million in 2001.

Applied Materials held the top spot with 2001 sales of $6.455 billion, a 37.3% decrease from sales of $10.3 billion in the previous year. TEL and Nikon kept their number two and three places, respectively. TEL's sales dropped 30.8%, from $5.1 billion in 2000 to $3.5 billion in 2001, VLSI says. Nikon's sales declined 26.5% from $2.6 billion in 2000 to $1.9 billion in 2001.

Given the economic conditions and the showing of the other nine companies, the performance of KLA-Tencor is a triumph of sorts. The manufacturer of process control equipment saw its sales decline the least among all the finalists on the Top 10 list. K-T's sales decreased 13.7% from $1.9 billion to $1.7 billion.

Although its revenues decreased 23.5% to $1.5 billion, lithography equipment supplier ASML stayed at number five. ASML purchased Silicon Valley Group in 2001, and the company's total revenues include sales made by SVG following the acquisition. VLSI says Canon, the Japanese lithography powerhouse, reached number six in 2001, up three spots from its 2000 rank, as sales declined only 20% to $1.13 billion.

Both Novellus and Hitachi reached the top 10 after placing 11th and 12th, respectively, in 2000. Novellus had sales of $1 billion last year, a 24.7% drop from 2000. Hitachi's sales of $982 million in 2001 also represented a decline of 24.7%.

ASTM changes name

ASTM, the nonprofit standards organization, has changed its name to reflect its international stature. Now known as ASTM International, the organization has more than 30,000 members from more than 100 countries. Forty percent of ASTM standards are distributed outside the United States, the organization points out. James Thomas, ASTM's president, notes that the association has traditionally developed standards "based on consensus without borders. Our process ensures that interested individuals and organizations representing industry, academia, consumers, and governments alike, all have an equal vote in determining a standards content." The change includes a new logo and tag line. The organization was founded in 1898 as the American Chapter of the International Association for Testing and Materials. Information: 610/832-9687; kkono@astm.org.

Novellus revamps staff

Novellus Systems has reorganized its executive staff in the hopes of positioning itself for an upturn in the semiconductor industry's fortunes. The San Jose–based manufacturer of deposition and surface preparation equipment expanded the office of CEO and reestablished the CTO position. Robert Smith, the new executive vice president for administration, joins Richard Hill, the company's chairman of the board and CEO, and company president Peter Hanley in the office of the CEO. Wilbert van den Hoek, currently the executive vice president of integration and advanced development, was appointed to head the reinstated CTO office. Kevin Jennings, formerly vice president of business development, was named vice president of corporate marketing. In recent years Novellus has made a big push into the 300-mm copper dual-damascene market.

Litho book published

The second edition of a microlithography handbook covers optical, E-beam, ion beam, and x-ray lithography for high-density semiconductor production. The book devotes an entire chapter to resist process defectivity and yields. The Handbook of VLSI Microlithography: Principles, Tools, Technology and Applications—Second Edition begins with a comparison of the three major patterning parameters of line/ space resolution and dimension control of line edge and pattern feature.

The 700-page hardbound volume features a practical description of the relationship between the resist process and equipment parameters. The handbook also covers photometrology techniques; microlithography tool automation; electron-beam ULSI applications; and vibration dynamics for installing lithographic tools.

The editor is John Helbert, a senior member of the Motorola technical staff with expertise in i-line and DUV photoresist process development, reduction of photolithographic defects, and characterization of high-NA steppers. The publisher is William Andrew. Information: www.williamandrew.com.