Alliances
Surface Technology Systems (STS) and Jobin Yvon report successful completion of first phase tests on a system for in-situ process control of deep silicon etch applications in MEMS manufacturing. The companies claim a substantial impact on costs and enhanced yields compared to competing solutions.
The aim of the non-exclusive collaboration is to characterise and develop further the capabilities of STS' ASE technology and Jobin Yvon's TDM200 integrated metrology product. The introduction of the Jobin Yvon TDM200 system promises improved efficiency in MEMS manufacturing by eliminating the need to monitor tool performance using test wafers and by ensuring repeatable device performance.
The TDM200 is an on-line tool that can be used to depth target deep trench etches produced by the Bosch Process. The tool uses a patented twin-spot interferometric camera combined with ellipsometry to measure the trench depth from the phase shift generated between two laser spots. One laser spot is positioned on the mask and the other on the trench.
The system does not require etch / deposition synchronisation signals from the etcher, and measures the depth directly, rather than inferring it from the etch rate, as is required for traditional interferometry based tools. This allows processes using the shortest etch cycles to be controlled. The work at STS has aimed at enabling control of the etching process 'in situ' to depths in the region of 500microns, some ten times deeper than conventional methods. Potential applications include 3D interconnects, inkjet heads, and pressure sensors.
Andrew Chambers, technology director at STS, comments: "Current technologies can only monitor up to 50 micron using a switched process. Any deeper and alternative techniques become less reliable. With this solution, the depth to which we can confidently work is significantly increased with no intrinsic limitations. We can monitor etch depth in real time and, ultimately, the savings in both time and money are significant."
RF product identification (RFID) supplier Checkpoint Systems and Philips Electronics have entered an alliance to jointly provide tags and readers combined with system integration services to retailers and consumer products companies.
The companies plan to provide full-scale implementation of RFID to meet industry mandated deadlines - some of which are set for 2005. The two companies are already working together on several projects in the European retail industry, including the Metro Group in Germany.
Checkpoint Systems Europe will build and integrate applications and solutions for the retail industry and its supply chain based on Philips' high and ultra-high frequency (HF and UHF) RFID chip solutions including those meeting Electronic Product Code (EPC) industry standards. Albert Roger, vice president and general manager RFID Checkpoint Systems Europe, reports: "Checkpoint has recently deployed RFID solutions based on Philips RFID chips in more than 12 in-store and supply chain applications thus far in 2004."
Applied Materials and Praxair Electronics have agreed a joint initiative to provide fab-wide Commodity Consumables Services (CCS) to semiconductor manufacturers. CCS will be marketed by Applied Materials to streamline efficiency and lower the cost of fab operations. It offers a one-stop shopping service for a wide range of generic commodity consumable items. Praxair will provide its logistics expertise.
Customers using CCS will be provided with supply chain management, planning, inventory consignment and point-of-use delivery for generic commodity consumable items such as o-rings, seals, fasteners, filters and other parts required to run a semiconductor fab. The service is intended to eliminate the need for semiconductor manufacturers to deal with multiple vendors of thousands of commodity consumable parts.
David NK Wang, executive vice president, Applied Global Services group, says: "This service goes beyond supporting Applied Materials' large installed base of equipment in fabs around the world and now includes commodity consumable parts for virtually all types of tools used in the fab."
