Applied Materials Introduces Quantum II Ion Implantation System for Sub-100nm Chip Manufacturing.

Business/Editors Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2002

Higher Beam Currents and Throughput Extend Quantum(TM)

Systems' Leadership For High-Current Applications

Applied Materials, Inc., the world's leading supplier of high current ion implanters, introduces the Quantum(TM) II ion implantation system for sub-100nm semiconductor devices. Using new extraction and source components, the Quantum II delivers 25 percent higher beam current and increased implant precision over the previous system to enable the most advanced chip manufacturing.

"This new Quantum system raises the bar for the industry in high-current implant technology, making it the clear choice for sub-100nm chipmaking," said Craig Lowrie, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials Ion Implant Division. "This new generation of the Quantum system increases almost all key productivity factors, including throughput, while enabling greater implant precision than ever before."

The Quantum II product extends Applied Materials' strong momentum in high-current implantation. Increased beam current in the Quantum II system enables up to 25 percent higher throughput in the critical low-energy applications. Energy accuracy has been improved to less than 3 eV, enabling chipmakers to increase the precision of their high-current implant steps for higher device yield and faster switching speeds. These important new capabilities of the Quantum II system are also available as upgrades to existing Quantum systems.

According to Dataquest, a market research firm, Applied Materials has led the high-current implant market for the past several years and was the only one of the top three implant suppliers to increase market share last year. Applied Materials gained 10 percentage points in the high current market and 7 percentage points in the total implant market.

Applied Materials' Quantum ion implanters cover the entire "conductive" implant spectrum, including the industry's leading technology for ultra-low energy implants, which are essential for the fabrication of semiconductors using 130nm and below geometries. The Quantum's exceptional productivity at very low energies, as well as traditional energies, enables high utilization in volume production. Featuring a small-footprint platform that bridges 200mm and 300mm wafer sizes, Quantum implanters are used for 130nm production processing at major chip manufacturers in the U.S., Asia, Japan and Europe.

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.