Cabot Unveils New Oxide Slurry for Advanced Dielectric Processes; New Polishing Compound Extends CMP Performance to 0.18 Micron and Below Processes.

AURORA, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 1998--Cabot Corporation's Microelectronics Materials Division (MMD), the pioneer and leading global supplier of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) slurries, today introduced SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000 -- a low defectivity CMP slurry specifically designed for volume production of 0.18 micron and below devices.

Company officials report that the new slurry delivers the industry's most advanced CMP polishing performance for dielectric film applications -- setting new standards for planarization productivity and uniformity while dramatically reducing the microdefectivity that can adversely impact device performance and yield.

"CMP processing, which is essential for sub-quarter micron device manufacturing, faces new challenges as chipmakers transition to the 0.18 micron device generation," explained Bruce Zwicker, Cabot's director of global business and sales. "As design rules shrink, small particles and scratches previously considered non-critical can become yield endangering microdefects."

Cabot's new SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000 was specifically designed to address this problem. With its ultrafine abrasive grain size, optimized chemistry and new dispersion methodology, SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000 delivers the lowest microdefectivity rates in the industry. It also enables higher planarization efficiency and improved uniformity throughout the wafer and wafer-to-wafer. Together, these advances increase CMP productivity while reducing cost of ownership.

Based on these capabilities, Cabot's SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000 slurry can address the full range of oxide CMP applications for 0.18 micron and below processes, including both shallow and deep trench isolation. According to independent market research firm O'Mara and Associates, oxide is by far the largest process segment within the overall CMP market, representing more than 60 percent of all CMP applications. It is also one of the fastest growing segments in the semiconductor industry based on its unique ability to create the extremely planar surfaces needed on the dielectric layers to successfully form today's multi-level device interconnect structures.

Rick Foster, Cabot's global marketing director, noted, "The addition of our new D7000 slurry to our full family of SEMI-SPERSE(R) CMP polishing compounds reinforces our leadership position in the industry, where we hold more than 80 percent market share. Most importantly, it will enable our global customers to greatly enhance their CMP processes with a reliable new polishing material designed to address their most critical technical and manufacturing requirements."

Foster concluded that the SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000 is the result of a R&D effort involving multiple Cabot divisions, one of which manufactures high purity CAB-O-SIL(R), the fumed silica grains that serve as the abrasive component in the polishing slurry. Cabot's highly stable dispersion of CAB-O-SIL(R) controls the level of particles, which can lead to wafer level defectivity in 0.18 micron processes. This defectivity reduction achieves unprecedented planarization rates and uniformity while maintaining superior colloidal stability characteristics.

With the introduction of SEMI-SPERSE(R) D7000, Cabot continues to extend its history of offering the lowest risk, strongest performance CMP solutions available for semiconductor manufacturers' most advanced device technologies.

About Cabot

Cabot Corp.'s Microelectronics Materials Division, headquartered in Aurora, Ill., is the pioneer and world's leading supplier of CMP slurries for polishing oxide, tungsten, copper and aluminum in semiconductor manufacturing processes, commanding more than 80 percent of the total global slurry market. Cabot MMD is a division of Cabot Corp., a 115-year-old company that operates 39 plants in 23 countries. In 1997, the company recorded sales of $1.6 billion.

    CONTACT: Cabot Corporation
              Microelectronics Materials Division
              Rick Foster, 630/585-9471 ext. 241
               or
              MCA, Inc.
              Marie Labrie, 650/968-8900