Product Updates
New Hot Acid Cleaning Process Eliminates Etching and Damage Associated with SC1 and Megasonics
FSI has developed a proprietary process for removing particles added by hot acid processes and avoids the unwanted etching and damage that can occur with conventional cleaning processes. It is well known in the industry that hot acid processes, such as the use of phosphoric acid to etch nitride or sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide to strip photoresist, add thousands of particles to the wafer surface.
FSI collaborates with customer to drive down nitride spacer and silicide defectivity
FSI recently collaborated with a key customer to evaluate the ability of the ANTARES® system AspectClean™ to remove process defects without damaging sensitive gate structures in advanced technology manufacturing processes (90nm and 65nm). This effort looked at defect removal efficiencies and damage induced by cleaning processes after nitride spacer deposition and post-silicide electrical probing.
Reclaiming Test Wafers in ZETA® Spray Tool Can Save Millions
Internal recycling of test wafers using FSI's ZETA® spray processor can save millions of dollars compared to the cost of new wafers or externally reclaimed wafers. A high volume production fab may consume 500 to 1000 test wafers every day. With new 300mm wafers costing about $200 each, the cost of test wafers is very significant. 200,000 new wafers per year-548 wafers per day-cost $40 million.
Customer Care News
FSI Knowledge Services™ Seminar Series Returns to Asia
FSI is returning to Asia in April 2007 with its very successful Knowledge Services™ Seminar Series. Over 1000 IC makers from around the world have found that these seminars deliver value-added information that can be directly applied to their manufacturing challenges - with time to network and discuss current trends and implementation of surface preparation technology.
FSI's Class 1 Applications Laboratory Adds KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP2 extending particle detection capability down to 30nm
FSI has recently qualified a new Surfscan SP2 in its class 1 applications laboratory, extending particle detection capability down to 30 nm. The new system will allow FSI to continue to support its customers and its own product and application development programs through the 45nm technology node and beyond. The addition of the SP2 is part of a company wide effort to recharacterize all tools and processes at smaller particle sizes, ultimately providing direction for a coordinated program of reoptimization and product development.
FSI goes direct in Israel
On January 29, 2007 FSI initiated direct, full-service customer support operations in Israel. The support organization includes field service and applications engineers with local logistical support capabilities. The new operation reflects FSI's growing presence in the region and is intended to increase responsiveness to our customer requests.
New Publications
FEOL Critical Clean and Etch
"Preparation, Characterization, and Damage-free Processing of Advanced Multiple-Gate FETs," by Jeffrey M. Lauerhaas, FSI International, Rinn Cleavelin and Weize Xiong, Texas Instruments, Koki Mochizuki, Kara Sherman, Hucheng Lee and Brian Clappin, KLA-Tencor and Thomas Schulz, Klaus Schruefer, Infineon Technologies, to be published in the proceedings of the 2006 UCPSS.
FEOL Strip and Clean
"All Wet Stripping of Implanted Photoresist," by Kurt K. Christenson, Jeffery W. Butterbaugh, Thomas J. Wagener, Nam Pyo Lee, Brent Schwab, Michael Fussy, John Diedrick, FSI International, to be published in the proceedings of the 2006 UCPSS.
Looking Ahead
SEMICON China 2007 - FSI Helps China IC Industry Grow
Stop by the FSI booth at SEMICON® China to find out how we are helping the China IC industry grow by bringing our surface conditioning experience and latest know-how to advance IC manufacturing.
FSI Booth #4008, Hall E4, Shanghai New International Expo Center, March 21-23, 2007.
SI Japan 10th Technical Seminar - 45nm Wafer Cleaning Solution
Kenichi Itoi, Business Coordinator, FSI Products Division, *m•FSI LTD, will be speaking at the SI Japan 10th Technical Seminar "45nm Wafer Cleaning Solution," on March 27th, 2007 at the Tokyo Conference Center - Shinagawa. For more information on this seminar, visit the Semicondutor International Japan website.
*m•FSI is FSI International’s Japanese joint venture. m•FSI supports the Japan market with its own engineering, development, sales and marketing, and customer service departments.
Asia Knowledge Services™ Seminar Series
The next FSI Knowledge Services™ Seminar Series will be held in April 2007 in the following locations:
- Seoul - 11 April
- Singapore - 13 April
- Shanghai - 17 April
- Hsinchu - 19 April
- Tainan - 20 April (Afternoon session only)
2007 SEMATECH Surface Preparation and Cleaning Conference
Listen to FSI present on the following Topics at the SEMATECH Surface Cleaning and Preparation Conference, April 25-26, 2007, Austin, Texas
- Suppression of Native Oxide Loss During Silicon Nitride Etching in Hot Phosphoric Acid
- Mid-Line Post Electrical Test Defect Removal with Cryogenic Aerosol
- Achieving High Temperature SPM for Stripping Implanted Photoresist