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FSI nabs first Asian client

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing in Singapore became the first Asian customer for a Polaris cluster tool from FSI International's microlithography division, the vendor announced. The chipmaker will use the photoresist track system in its new 200-mm production fab. Minneapolis-based FSI also announced it had shipped its 300th Excalibur vapor cleaning system. The customer is Tech Semiconductor in Singapore; the manufacturer uses the systems for post-RIE cleaning.

AG sales gather steam

Hitachi has purchased two steam-generating Heatpulse 8800 RTP systems from AG Associates for installation at the chipmaker's Device Development Center in Ohme, Japan. The tools will be used for 0.25-µm R&D applications. The San Jose—based vendor used diluted steam instead of oxygen as a process reactant in the Heatpulse platform to make the system suitable for thin dielectric formation in 0.25-µm processes. The steam technology enables the RTP tool to produce low concentrations of steam ambient for growing thin silicon dioxide layers at low temperatures, says Nitin Shah, the supplier's director of marketing and technical sales. With more than 150 Heatpulse systems installed in Japan, the company has a market share in the country of greater than 50% in its equipment segment.

Photronics buys litho tool

Mask manufacturer Photronics has ordered an electron-beam lithography system from Ultratech Stepper for use at its plant in Allen, TX. Manufactured by Ultratech's UltraBeam lithography unit, the V2000 system will be used to make advanced reticles for devices with linewidths ¾0.25 µm.

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