INDUSTRY NEWS

'ROUND THE CIRCUIT

Firm trumpets x-ray step

A reported breakthrough in the use of so-called soft x-rays could have benefits for semiconductor device inspection and wafer surface analysis. JMAR Technologies of San Diego says recent tests of its picosecond x-ray source (PXS) module show the module can generate a 3-W, 1-nanosecond beam from an x-ray-emitting spot size of 7 µm on a steady-state basis. JMAR asserts that successful tests of the module mean the technology could bring the power of the synchrotron into the fab. The high-resolution PXS operates in the wavelength region needed for three-dimensional imaging of chips and of fluorescence surface analysis, the company says.

The breakthrough "substantially exceeds that of any other laser plasma soft x-ray source," says Edmond Turcu, JMAR's chief scientist. The only options available to the industry are x-ray tubes and synchrotrons, he says. Tubes lack the power and resolution of the PXS, while synchrotrons, which must be housed in large facilities, are impractical for daily use, according to the scientist. Based on JMAR's Britelight solid-state laser, the PXS produces x-rays through a rapid series of short, powerful light pulses at intensities of several trillion watts per square centimeter that are focused on a small chamber. JMAR is trying to reach higher power levels with systems combining several Britelight lasers. The company planned to test a 30-W system during the second quarter of 1999, and a 90-W system for photolithography, micromachining, and nanofabrication is scheduled for testing during the first half of 2000. Information: http://www.jmar.com..

Service tracks material use

A new service tracks the use of consumables to help chipmakers better manage their inventories. Introduced by Semico Research, the FAB Consumables Tracker provides two-year rolling quarterly forecasts and two years of quarterly historical data for materials such as photoresists, photomasks, and chemicals. In addition to helping chipmakers with their inventories, the service enables suppliers and equipment manufacturers to make better marketing decisions, according to the research firm. Other materials covered include CMP pads, post-CMP cleaning brushes, and diffusion materials. Headquartered in Phoenix, Semico provides semiconductor market research and analysis. An annual subscription with four quarterly forecasts costs $900 for each fab consumable. Discounts are available for multiple subscriptions. Information: 602/997-0337, ext. 108; fax, 602/997-0302.

Global standards updated

New, updated, and reapproved documents covering a wide variety of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and facility categories are among the 1999 cycle of SEMI International Standards. The recently published documents include 11 new, 22 technically revised, and 18 reapproved standards. In addition, there are four editorially revised and five withdrawn documents. Among the new benchmarks are one defining equipment productivity and another establishing a test method for determining attitude sensitivity of mass-flow controllers. Revised standards cover areas such as mechanical specifications for 300-mm-wafer cassettes and specifications for turbomolecular pump interfaces. Information: 650/940-6904; http://www.semi.org.

Cost-cutting book published

A technology created to minimize process variability and reduce manufacturing costs is the focus of a recently published book. Run to Run Control in Semiconductor Manufacturing covers run-to-run technology, which permits modification of a product recipe between lot runs. The concept is designed to cut production costs by minimizing process drift. The authors claim the technology has worked in processes such as vapor-phase epitaxy, chemical-mechanical planarization, and lithography. The 380-page volume is written for technical managers, process engineers, and quality control engineers. Chapters cover topics such as the history of run-to-run controls, appropriate applications, algorithms, and manufacturing case studies. The authors are A.M. Hurwitz, Qualtec, Claremont, South Africa; James Moyne, University of Michigan; Duane Boning, MIT; and Enrique Del Castillo, University of Texas. The book costs $79.95 and is published by CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Information: 800/272-7737; http://www.crcpress.com.

Meeting sets paper record

A record number of 53 technical papers will be presented at the 21st annual EOS/ESD symposium, organizers announced. Topics include on-chip protection, factory-level EOS/ESD, device-level ESD standards, and magnetic recording heads ESD issues in manufacturing and testing. The symposium will take place September 26­30 at the Wyndham Palace Resort, Orlando, FL. The award-winning paper from the 1998 RCJ EOS/ESD Symposium-Japan will be featured. The paper is titled A Study of Optimum ESD Protection Circuits for Semiconductor Device Processed by CMOS 0.18-µm Technology. The papers will be presented in nine parallel sessions. The ESD Association will sponsor three days of tutorials. More than 100 exhibitors will also be on hand. Information: 315/339-6937; fax, 315/339-6793.

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