Orders Accelerate for Applied Materials' Dielectric Etch Technology; More Than 200 Dielectric Etch Super e Chambers Shipped, 50th Multi-Chamber System Installed at TSMC
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2000--Applied Materials, Inc., the world's leading supplier of etch equipment to the semiconductor industry, has shipped more than 200 Dielectric Etch Super e(TM) chambers. The latest of these chambers is installed on the company's 50th multi-chamber Dielectric Etch Super e Centura(R) system which was purchased by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for their newest high-volume foundry facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This 200th chamber, 50th system milestone was achieved less than six months after the system's introduction in July 1999 and includes repeat orders as well as upgrades and retrofits.
Jiunn-Jyi Lin, director and chairman of TSMC's etch technical board, said, "The Dielectric Etch Super e Centura's fast installation and high throughput has helped us quickly ramp production capacity in order to meet the rapidly growing demand for TSMC products. Multiple systems are now being used in production at TSMC's advanced fabs. The Super e system represents an impressive extension of etch technology; its rapid qualification, high productivity and impressive reliability have been key factors in achieving our manufacturing targets."
TSMC is currently using the Dielectric Etch Super e system in volume production for 0.25 micron via and pad etch applications, as well as in the development of 0.18 micron etch applications.
"TSMC's assistance has been invaluable in qualifying the production capabilities of the Dielectric Etch Super e system. We have taken the Super e from initial testing at TSMC to broad acceptance in many of TSMC's fabs in under one year," noted Diana Ma, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' dielectric etch product group. "The Super e system's flexibility, reliability, and productivity are being demonstrated daily inside TSMC fabs."
Applied Materials has an installed base of more than 1,500 MxP+ series dielectric etch process chambers, which can be upgraded with the new Super e chamber's advanced hardware features and performance. Super e chambers are also available on Applied Materials' newest etch platform, the Centura II, which offers additional benefits in ease of installation and serviceability.
The Dielectric Etch Super e was designed with several key process and productivity advancements to meet the high volume requirements of leading-edge foundries. New features include high etch rates, reduced wafer handling time and a ceramic electrostatic chuck, making the system ideally suited for advanced via, contact, pad, spacer and hard mask open etch applications.
According to Dataquest, a market research firm, a preliminary estimate of the market for dielectric etch equipment in 1999 was $1.02 billion. This market is projected to grow to $2.04 billion by the year 2004.
Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol "AMAT." Applied Materials' web site is http://www.AppliedMaterials.com.
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