Applied Materials Ships Milestone 250th Copper CMP System to China's SMIC Foundry
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2004--
Applied Mirra Mesa(R) and Applied Reflexion(R) Systems Lead
the Industry for Copper Applications
Applied Materials, Inc. has shipped its milestone 250th copper CMP* system to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), a leading chip foundry in Shanghai, China. The Applied Mirra Mesa(R) CMP system purchased by SMIC will be used for the production of copper-based logic chips on 200mm wafers.
"SMIC's choice of Applied Materials' CMP technology for their copper devices is very gratifying," said Russell Ellwanger, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Planarization and Plating Business Group. "Our 200mm Mirra Mesa and 300mm Reflexion CMP systems are playing a key role as customers transition their most advanced designs to copper/low k device production."
The Applied Mirra Mesa CMP and Applied Reflexion(R) CMP are the industry's leading systems for all 200mm and 300mm CMP applications. Both systems, with their unique multi-platen architecture and process control options, have set the standard for copper CMP processing. Installed in virtually every copper chipmaking fab worldwide, Applied Materials' CMP systems are production tool of record at more than a dozen major high-volume copper fabs and development tool of record at more than 20 customer sites.
Applied Materials' latest CMP system, the Applied Reflexion LK, features a low downforce, high throughput platform that enables the manufacture of a broad range of low k dielectric materials for 90nm production, with extendibility to future design nodes. The Mirra Mesa and Reflexion systems feature on-board process monitoring technologies, including the patented FullScan(TM) optical endpoint system and the iScan(TM) system which provides real-time profile control. Available in-line wafer-level diagnostic capability monitors product quality and minimizes process excursions.
Established in April 2000, SMIC is one of China's most advanced foundries, with three 200mm fabs in volume production in Shanghai and a 300mm facility currently under construction in Beijing. For more information, please visit www.smics.com.
Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the largest supplier of equipment and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials' Web site is http://www.appliedmaterials.com
*CMP: chemical mechanical polishing
CONTACT: Applied Materials
Betty Newboe, 408-563-0647 (editorial/media)
Paul Bowman, 408-563-1698 (financial community)
SOURCE: Applied Materials