INDUSTRY NEWS

No, after you

The quip has now reached the level of cliché: In the chip industry's transition to 300-mm wafers, everyone wants to come in second. But, like all good jokes, this one has a grain of truth in it. Everyone knows it's true because of the financial stakes involved, and it's that fiscal burden that is causing everyone to clam up. Few know this better than George Lee, SEMI's 300-mm initiative director.

As part of his job, Lee has interviewed more than 40 toolmakers. Although he hasn't seen any POs yet, he has seen a lot of movement underneath the radar. In the key area of metrology, Lee believes the "proper tool sets" will be ready by 1998. As early as April 1996 he spoke with metrology companies "who were way beyond the beta system status." Lee has also seen process toolmakers designing and producing equipment "that requires surface profiling." And suppliers of shipping containers are racking up "substantial" monthly sales for 300-mm products. "What does all that say? People are moving wafers around!" quips an amused Lee. "I've seen the equipment, the bills, the machinery, and I've seen the material come down the pipe and be pressed, and I've seen it come out and go into a box. I've seen names on the boxes."

Concludes Lee: "There's a whole lot going on out there...but nothing much permeates the surface. Most everybody involved wants to keep his project quiet." That's no joke.

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