| MATTSON TECHNOLOGY
ANNOUNCES NEW RTP PROCESS CAPABILITY. Aspen RTPFR3to Extend
Asian DRAM Manufacturer's Technology
FREMONT, Calif. — March 13, 2000 — Mattson Technology,
Inc. (Nasdaq: MTSN), a leading supplier of advanced process
equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced
a new capability for its Aspen RTPFR3 system for use in advanced
processing on semiconductor devices. The announcement follows
a six-month evaluation at a major DRAM manufacturer to find
a more manufacturable solution for stacked DRAM applications.
Mattson's Aspen RTPFR3 system was found to enable high-volume
phosphine doping for 0.18 micron design rule 64MB DRAM devices.
This capability is extendible beyond 0.18 micron design rules
for 256MB devices. Phosphine doping is a newly emerging process
for doping polysilicon layers for capacitor electrodes. To
increase the capacitor area on a device, HSG (Hemispherical
Grain) polysilicon is used for the electrode and then doped
with phosphine to optimize capacitance.
According to Jean-Francois Daviet, Mattson's director of
RTP products, the customer will leverage the Aspen RTPFR3,
to extend its current technology base to next generation
devices without changing the basic materials used to form
capacitors in DRAM structures, allowing the customer to quickly
transition the capability to volume production. "Our
system successfully met the process requirements, while providing
a high-volume, cost-effective solution. We look forward to
extending the process capabilities of this customer," noted
Daviet.
Due to reduced thermal budgets required for smaller device
structures, traditional furnace technology is no longer adequate
for this application, and traditional RTP systems running
at atmosphere are unable to address this process. The Aspen
RTPFR3 has the capability to dope HSG polysilicon on next
generation devices, giving chip manufacturers the advantage
of delaying the move to new higher dielectric constant materials
for DRAM manufacturing. Compared to furnaces, Mattson's RTP
technology provides a thermal budget reduction from two hours
to three minutes. Moreover, the robust design of the Aspen
RTPFR3 allows Mattson to offer an all-inclusive three-year
warranty, which covers all consumables and maintenance costs – a
major source of expense with lamp-based RTP systems.
About Aspen RTPFR3
Aspen RTPFR3 has the unique capability to process over a
wide temperature range (from 300°C to 1200°C) and
to handle both traditional RTP and many furnace applications.
The system provides a full suite of leading-edge applications,
which includes silicides, TiSi2 or CoSi2; implant anneals,
ultra-shallow junctions without "spike anneals";
high k dielectric anneals (Ta2O5, BST, SBT); glass reflow
and/or densification (BPSG, PSG); curing of low k films;
and low-temperature copper anneal. Currently, no other RTP
or furnace system in the industry provides as accurate control
of temperature over such a wide range. Aspen RTPFR3 moves
seamlessly from high temperature implant anneals to low temperature
copper anneals to lengthier high k processes that last up
to several minutes.
The Aspen RTPFR3 is designed to meet the requirements for
advanced sub-0.18 micron processing while satisfying the
demands of high-volume manufacturing. Based on the Aspen
II platform, it handles up to 110 wafers per hour for selected
processes. The simple design of the process chamber has
no moving parts and no consumables for low preventive maintenance
requirements. Aspen RTPFR3 is based on Mattson's proprietary
susceptor technology, which combines the tight process
control of single wafer rapid thermal processing (RTP)
systems with the high throughput and low cost-of-ownership
of batch furnaces.
About Mattson Technology
Mattson Technology Inc., is a leading supplier of thermal,
plasma and wet semiconductor processing equipment. The company's
products combine advanced process technology on a high productivity
platform, backed by industry-leading support. Since beginning
operations in 1989, the company's core vision has been to
help bring technology leadership and productivity gains to
semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. Headquartered in Fremont,
Calif., the company maintains sales and support centers throughout
the United States, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Japan. For more
information, please contact Mattson Technology Inc., 2800
Bayview Drive, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: (800) MATTSON.
Fax: (510) 657-0165. Internet:www.mattson.com
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