INDUSTRY NEWS

ORDER DESK

TI buys copper CMP tools

FSI International has begun shipping several P4400 slurry blending and distribution systems to Texas Instruments in December, the vendor announced. TI will use the tools as part of its copper CMP program in Dallas. The systems will be installed at an R&D and production fab and in TI's DFAB1 plant for oxide slurry applications. The chipmaker will also use the tools to distribute slurry for shallow-trench isolation CMP. The systems are capable of blending and distributing oxide, tungsten, copper, and polysilicon slurries.

Motorola bonds with tool

A fourth Motorola business unit has bought a wafer-bonding tool from Electronic Visions of Phoenix. Motorola's automotive and industrial electronics group in Northbrook, IL, will use the system to manufacture micromachined sensors using anodic bonding. In addition to anodic applications, Electronic Visions' systems are designed for use in epoxy, glass frit, silicon fusion, silicon direct, silicon-on-insulator, and thermocompression processes. In related news, a manufacturer of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) placed orders for a wafer-bonding system, a bond aligner, and a mask aligner from Electronic Visions. The Instruments Systems Group of AlliedSignal Electronics and Avionics Systems purchased the manufacturing tools for its MEMS development programs. The subsidiary also bought an automated resist processing system.

Candescent buys SMIF tools

Candescent Technologies, manufacturer of the ThinCRT display, has purchased Smart-Station automation systems valued at $1.8 million from Asyst Technologies. The order includes a software maintenance contract and is the first such sale to a "non-SMIF customer," the supplier says. Asyst says automating the equipment for Candescent's San Jose FPD plant demonstrates the flexibility of its Smart-Station software design. The ThinCRT display is designed to be a high-performance, low-cost replacement for LCDs used in notebook computers and other electronic products, Candescent says.

Camstar has Kodak moment

Camstar Systems has sold an InSite manufacturing execution system (MES) to Eastman Kodak for installation in its organic LED display plant. Kodak will use the MES to track product and WIP inventory through the production flow. The display manufacturer says the flexible MES tool will enable it to optimize yields when it institutes new manufacturing methods for its line of OLEDs.

RTP tools go to Texas, Korea

Fifteen rapid thermal process systems from Steag AST were bought by Samsung for installation at fabs in Austin, TX, and Kyoungki-do, South Korea. Samsung will use the AST 2800 RTP tools for production of 64-Mb DRAMs. The system accommodates BPSG, titanium nitride, titanium cobalt silicidation, and implant annealing processes.

Firm adopts software

A Denver-based firm that designs water treatment systems has decided to recommend pipe-flow modeling software from Applied Flow Technology for use in all of its process piping projects. The engineering firm, CH2M-Hill, adopted the AFT software after successfully using the AFT Fathom for Windows and AFT Arrow for Windows programs on projects in 1997. The programs use a drag-and-drop graphical user interface for building models of liquid flow in complex piping networks.

Atomika sells profiler

Three U.S. semiconductor manufacturers placed orders for the SIMS 4500 depth profiler and dose monitor from Atomika Instruments. The instruments were purchased by Accurel Systems International and Advanced Micro Devices—both of Sunnyvale, CA—and an unnamed chipmaker based in Austin, TX. Final delivery of the three orders is scheduled to take place by the end of March.

Vitesse says 'encore'

Vitesse Semiconductor of Camarillo, CA, has made a repeat order for a Performance Enhancement Platform (PEP) system from GaSonics International. The system will be installed in Vitesse's Pierre Lamond fab in Colorado Springs, CO, where it will be used in processing 6-in. GaAs wafers. The tool features a photoresist removal chamber and a low-temperature cleaning chamber. In addition to the fluoride-compatible cleaning chamber, the tool has an endpoint detection system with a scanning monochromator.

TSMC repeats with Applied

Applied Materials received a repeat order for its Ultima HDP-CVD Centura system from TSMC. The Taiwan-based chip foundry has been using the high-density deposition tool in its R&D facility to qualify shallow-trench isolation processes for advanced logic device production. The Ultima tools will be installed at two TSMC fabs for production of chips with linewidths 0.25 µm, according to Applied. The process tool supplier also announced that Cirent Semiconductor has purchased an Endura Vectra IMP Ti/TiN system for installation at Cirent's fab in Orlando, FL. The order is scheduled for shipment early this year, Applied says.

Whistler displays LCD interest

Whistler, a manufacturer of radar detectors, has signed a contract with Three-Five Systems of Tempe, AZ, to develop Three-Five's LCiD technology for use in its detectors. The Chelmsford, MA—based detector manufacturer plans to incorporate the LCiD technology in its 1999 models. The backlit display will measure one line by eight characters. Whistler chose the technology because the radar detectors are placed on dashboards and must be readable in direct sunlight. Three-Five's LCD is capable of being read under those conditions, the company says. The display supplier adds that the order is the first time the technology has been used in the radar-detection market.

MicroHome | Search | Current Issue | MicroArchives
Buyers Guide | Media Kit