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Europe

Team targets cleaning

An agreement to develop an ozonated water process for cleaning wafers has been signed by Semitool of Kalispell, MT, and IMEC, the Belgium-based microelectronics research center. The work will concentrate on Semitool's HydrOzone technology, which Semitool has been developing as a replacement for H₂SO₄ cleaning. The process combines dry ozone, water, and spray technology. It can be used to remove organic contaminants and photoresists. Semitool claims the process is much more effective than competing ozonated water processes. It hopes IMEC's involvement will extend the process's stripping capability to include the removal of high-energy-implant resist.

KLA-Tencor gets German software

A German start-up has shipped several licenses for its metrology software to KLA-Tencor, the Silicon Valley—based manufacturer of yield-management equipment. Called Wafermap, the software is made by Boin, based in Tomerdingen. The program allows users to import data files from metrology equipment such as ellipsometers and four-point probes. Data can be visualized as one-, two-, or three-dimensional plots and histograms.

GaAs fab buys cluster tool

Europe's first 6-in. GaAs fab will install a Sigma PVD cluster tool from Trikon Technologies, the supplier says. Siemens will use the system at its Munich fab to make MESFET and high-electron-mobility devices. The tool will be used for depositing silicon nitride, tungsten, and tungsten silicide layers. Trikon is based in Newport, Wales.

Micronas honors Varian

Varian Associates's semiconductor equipment unit has won the top tool supplier award from Micronas Intermetall. The award recognizes Varian's effort to help Micronas meet the short timetable the company set for ramping up its new 6-in.-wafer fab in Freiburg, Germany. Micronas broke ground on the facility in May 1997 and began processing wafers in March 1998. Varian installed two EHP-500 medium-current implanters and one VIIsion 200 PLUS high-current implanter. The tool vendor shipped a second VIISion system to the site last December. Micronas manufactures mixed-signal ASICs and D/A converters for automotive and consumer applications.

AMD buys tools for Dresden

AMD has purchased several Producer systems from Applied Materials for its fab in Dresden, Germany. The system deposits advanced-generation blanket dielectric films using a platform architecture with twin chamber modules for high throughput, says Applied. AMD plans to use the tool for CVD applications such as antireflective coatings, etch stop, passivation, and interconnects for advanced microprocessors and other devices. The system can be used with TEOS, silane oxide, and silane nitride chemistries. A remote plasma clean technology reduces the frequency of chamber cleans and lessens PFC emissions, Applied says. AMD says it will also install the tool in its Submicron Development Center in Sunnyvale, CA.

Asia

Lucid signs sales rep

Lucid Treatment Systems has signed a distributor for its waste-treatment systems line in Southeast Asia. The company, Intraco, will have offices in Taiwan and Singapore and cover the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. Intraco is a distributor of wafer fab gear.

Slurry plant opens in Japan

Cabot's microelectronics materials division has opened a CMP slurry plant in Geino, Japan. The 4000-sq-ft facility is the fourth slurry facility opened by the company, which is based in Aurora, IL. The others are in Aurora, Hammond, IN; and Barry, Wales. Cabot established the plant in order to improve delivery time and better serve its growing customer base in the Asia-Pacific market. Hiro Nishiya, the unit's business manager for Japan, will oversee the facility. It is located in the Geino's Oaza-Kitakoyama Industrial Park.

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