Altis Semiconductor Selects Applied Materials' Single-Wafer Nitride Deposition Technology To Manufacture Advanced Transistors.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2001

Single-Wafer SiNgen(TM) Centura(R) Silicon Nitride System

Replaces Furnaces for Altis' Latest Chips

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) announced that Altis Semiconductor, the joint venture of IBM and Infineon located in Corbeil-Essonnes, France, has selected its single-wafer SiNgen LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) system to deposit critical silicon nitride films in the transistor region of its most advanced logic chips. The SiNgen technology replaces batch furnace-type systems previously used for this application, providing Altis with key benefits in film quality as well as faster product time-to-market.

Francis Taroni, director of engineering at Altis, said, "Applied Materials' SiNgen single-wafer deposition technology enables Altis to accelerate the manufacturing of our latest generation of logic and embedded DRAM chips, which in turn ultimately reduces our customers' time to market for these products. SiNgen provides us with both technical and economic advantages, which are extremely important in today's highly competitive market."

Single-wafer LPCVD technology is especially useful to chipmakers who need to reduce development and production cycle times while also managing manufacturing costs. SiNgen systems provide silicon nitride deposition for advanced front-end applications and are a high-performance, cost-competitive alternative to batch furnaces for critical sidewall spacers, as well as etch stop, shallow trench isolation layers and other applications in 0.13 micron and below devices. In addition to its demonstrated economic efficiencies at the fab level, the SiNgen technology enables chipmakers to improve the performance and yield of their devices by reducing the thermal exposure of the wafer.

"As chipmakers implement 0.13 micron generation devices and are actively developing the 100nm (0.10 micron) production processes of the next generation, they are realizing the real benefits of our single-wafer transistor-level deposition technologies, such as SiNgen. With IBM and Infineon as its founders, Altis is aggressively seeking the most productive, technically innovative solutions to its device challenges, which includes the SiNgen technology. We are very pleased with their selection of this product for their most critical silicon nitride applications," said Paul Meissner, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Thermal Systems and Modules Business Group.

Altis Semiconductor, a joint venture between IBM Microelectronics Division and Infineon Technologies, was created in July 1999. This new company is built from the former IBM semiconductor manufacturing site located in Corbeil-Essonnes, France. Its leading-edge technology offering includes logic components down to 0.13 micron with copper interconnects and advanced EDRAM components. For more information, see www.altissemiconductor.com.

Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT), the largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry, is one of the world's leading information infrastructure providers. Applied Materials enables Information for Everyone(TM) by helping semiconductor manufacturers produce more powerful, portable and affordable chips. Applied Materials' Web site is www.appliedmaterials.com.