Major Korean semiconductor manufacturer adopts single wafer tools
The SEZ Group has announced that a major Korean semiconductor manufacturer has placed a multiple-system order for SEZ's Da Vinci family of tools after successful beta test results revealed increased productivity, performance and cost-savings advantages. The Da Vinci systems will be used for back-end-of-line (BEOL) polymer removal for 300-mm and 200-mm memory devices with sub-90-nm process technologies.
The four-system order will be used for aluminum copper polymer cleans for next-generation DRAM devices and will utilize SEZ's dilute sulfuric-peroxide (DSP+) chemistry process. This order win is a significant milestone for SEZ as it marks the company's entry into this memory manufacturer's production line for BEOL cleans.
This reinforces SEZ's market position in Korea -- where single-wafer has already made serious inroads in DRAM manufacturing. Moreover, it underpins single wafer's ability to drive the transition from batch to single wafer in high-volume manufacturing. This trend will continue to accelerate as manufacturers seek to accommodate increasingly stringent surface preparation rules as they move toward smaller, more complex geometry integrated circuits (ICs), and witness the cost, performance and yield advantages afforded by the single-wafer approach.
According to Herwig Petsching, chief operating officer for SEZ Asia Pacific, "This opportunity to work closely with one of the industries top players in memory manufacturing and provide the tools to meet their application needs is a significant achievement for SEZ. It not only opens the door to a new customer in the Korean market, but also further validates the Da Vinci's ability to continuously meet our customers' needs both in cost of ownership (CoO) and performance."
He adds, "Our success with the use of DSP+ chemistry -- proven extremely effective in memory manufacturing for BEOL post-etch residue removal -- has fuelled the continued adoption of Da Vinci in Korea, where some of the world's largest memory manufacturers reside."
Since the unveiling of Da Vinci in 2003, the tool has gained wide acceptance in the industry, hitting its 140th shipment milestone in Q4 2006.
