Apr 22 2008
Mattson Technology, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced semiconductor process equipment used to manufacture Integrated Circuits (or "ICs"), today announced that a leading global semiconductor manufacturer has selected its Millios flash Rapid Thermal Processing (fRTP) system for advanced millisecond anneal processing based on its capabilities to address challenging sub-45 nanometer applications. The fRTP annealing system is scheduled to ship to the manufacturer's 300 mm advanced development fab in May, where it will be used for process and performance characterization of critical flash RTP applications. Gartner Dataquest estimates that the total emerging millisecond RTP anneals market is expected to grow at a 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2007 to 2012.
"As the number of implant steps increases with each device generation, chipmakers face a myriad of complex technical challenges in which they must achieve increasingly smaller geometries and fabricate more powerful chips," noted Andreas Toennis, senior vice president and general manager of Mattson Technology's Thermal Products Group. "Mattson's proprietary Millios system provides critical technical improvements in process flexibility, control and high throughput, resulting in low cost of ownership. With its superior technical innovations, including an extremely powerful flash lamp which is essential for the fRTP application, Millios enables high throughput and may eliminate the need for separate spike anneal. Millios is the only tool that delivers full manufacturing controls with the ability to combine standard and millisecond anneals."
Toennis added, "The Millios system has already demonstrated the advanced capabilities to address advanced 45 nm and beyond processes and is well positioned to drive Mattson's growth. We look forward to working with this latest Millios customer, and are committed to supporting their expanded production capabilities in the future as well as their growth strategy to meet their customers' anticipated demand for leading-edge semiconductors, telecommunications, and digital convergence technology."