300 mm lithography enters reality

Article Abstract:

The enthusiasm for the advent of the 300 mm wafer size conversion waned with the realization that changing the technology node and wafer size at the same time would be risky and unnecessary to obtain the desired cost reduction. Equipment suppliers spent millions or billions on research and development costs during the initial 300 mm tool development. However, in 1998, when majority of the equipment was ready, the market was not and instead, stayed with the technology-driven cost reduction at 200 mm. The renewed enthusiasm for the 300 mm has again began but only because of the need for small but powerful chips in greater volume at lower cost. Mature 300 mm lithography tools are ready but the insertion node is not 250 nm technology but 130 nm.

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Enhancing CMP performance

Article Abstract:

Several chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) equipment manufacturers are well into the development process while some are ready for the production of 300 mm equipment. Most of the equipment that are available are close to reaching 200 mm tool performance. However, scaling to 300 mm creates tool-specific CMP challenges such as integration of metrology, consumables costs and full automation. The unfolding of the transition to 300 mm is expected to result in the benchmarking of process performance, better characterization of the equipment and identifying new challenges for IC manufacturers and CMP suppliers.

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Exhibitor outlook

Article Abstract:

Several executives of semiconductor production equipment companies offer their views on key trends during the 2000 SEMICON West. They believe that among the hottest issues would be the red dots in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. The red dots indicate areas where no known solution exists. Other hot topics include integrated metrology; the migration to 300 mm wafers; the shift to 13 micron fabrication and ne materials such as copper and low-k dielectrics.

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