Third generation MeV ion implanter introduced by Genus Inc.; established technology with design improvements drives lower MeV cost-of-ownership, reduced time-to-market.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 1995--Genus Inc. (NASDAQ:GGNS) Wednesday unveiled a new MeV ion implanter which provides a smaller system footprint, higher performance, and lower cost of ownership than comparable MeV systems.

The new Tandetron (TM) 1520 is 13 percent smaller, produces five times fewer particles and reduces utilities consumption costs by as much as 66 percent compared with competing systems, said product manager Jim Kawski.

The 1520 also features significant production throughput advantages for MeV applications, Kawski said, including 50 percent higher throughput for single implants and 66 percent better throughput for chained implants. The systems' DC tandem accelerator is uniquely capable of meeting the full range of energy requirements in the semiconductor industry's MeV technology migration roadmap, including epi replacement.

In addition to performance benefits, this new MeV ion implanter can also be manufactured with a much shorter cycle time, resulting in increased factory production capacity.

Preliminary interest in the Tandetron 1520 among Genus' customers has resulted in multiple advance orders for these systems, Kawski said. He added that the first 1520 system will ship to Hyundai Electronics before year end.

The 1520 enhances many of the production-proven features of Genus' industry-leading 1510 ion implanter. The system's DC tandem ion accelerator provides higher energies with lower utility costs and simpler operation and maintenance than competing systems. A large volume MeV process chamber, optimized for MeV-range implantation, controls photoresist outgassing problems at high energies, resulting in higher usable production throughputs. Particle contamination is significantly reduced by all-in-vacuum wafer transfer and clampless wafer handling.

In addition to a smaller footprint, the Tandetron 1520 offers an efficient, longer-lasting Bernas ion source which generates higher and more stable boron beam currents; a stronger, more dynamic software platform; more reliable wafer handling and transfer capabilities; improved factory automation and ease-of-maintenance features; and integrated modular construction enabling quicker and easier system installation.

According to Kawski, increased demand for MeV ion implanters is being driven largely by the development of new applications that enable reduced-cost manufacturing of advanced integrated circuits. The BILLI (Buried Implanted Layer for Lateral Isolation) structure, developed by Genus, brings this cost-saving technology to the logic arena by eliminating the need for expensive silicon epitaxy. This application is being evaluated by Hyundai and Philips for both epi avoidance and replacement. Kawski adds that, the world's leading memory device makers are already using MeV implant technologies to reduce manufacturing costs.

Clark Fuhs, senior market analyst at Dataquest, said his firm is predicting the MeV ion implant equipment market will reach $87 million this year, nearly triple its 1994 size due in part to the introduction of new applications for logic device manufacturing. "Historically, MeV ion implant technology has been used primarily in the production of retrograde wells for DRAMs, but recently we've seen a toe into logic start to emerge. That's part of the reason why we're more optimistic about our forecast than in times past," Fuhs said.

Genus Inc. develops, manufactures, markets and services advanced MeV ion implantation and thin film deposition equipment used in the fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices. The company's customers include semiconductor manufacturers located throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

CONTACT: Genus Inc.

Nancy Ellickson, 408/747-7120

or

Mathews & Clark

Ed Rebello, 408/736-1120