WaferMasters, Inc. Awarded Key Patent and Order for Flash Annealing Technology That Enables Diffusion-Free Activation of Ultra Shallow Junctions in Chip Manufacturing.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 2004

WaferMasters, Inc. today announced the grant of patent No. 6,376,806 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled "Flash Anneal". This rapid thermal processing (RTP) technology is essential for the fabrication of high performance memory and microprocessor chips. It gives chipmakers precise control of critical dimensions and electrical characteristics during the formation of ultra shallow junctions (USJ).

WaferMasters' flash anneal technology, now available on its Flash-300 and Flash-200 Annealing Systems, uses an arc lamp radiation source and reflector assembly to heat the surface of semiconductor wafers to temperatures up to 1,400 degrees centigrade. The process is nearly instantaneous, a burst of light lasting only milliseconds, hence the term "flash". Flash permits activation of shallow ion implanted junctions without allowing diffusion of the implanted species into adjacent regions of the device. By combining preheating techniques and flash, WaferMasters is able to form ultra shallow junctions for high device speeds and circuit density.

"WaferMasters' flash anneal technology overcomes many of the disadvantages of conventional RTP systems that use halogen lamps to heat the wafer," said Dr. Woo Sik Yoo, president and CTO of WaferMasters. "For example, filament-type halogen lamps produce broadband energy, much of which heats the wafer substrate causing dopants to diffuse. For radiation to be predominantly absorbed at the wafer surface, we use an arc lamp. Unlike filament lamps, an arc lamp can produce peak radiation intensity within the highly absorbable wavelengths of the silicon surface. As a consequence, the radiation is more efficiently absorbed by only the active layer without raising the bulk temperature during flash. This solution plays a critical role in enabling full and uniform activation of ultra shallow junction (USJ) devices."

In addition to USJ activation, WaferMasters' flash anneal technology can be used effectively for thermal donor annihilation, re-crystallization, and impurity doping. Moreover, since only the surface of the semiconductor wafer is heated during the process, a high percentage of the dopants become activated without diffusing, thus resulting in very shallow junctions. The highly activated regions form the source and drain of the transistors promoting increased electrical current flow and transconductance. These attributes result in devices with faster operation and lower power consumption. A Flash 300-System was shipped to a major Japanese semiconductor manufacturer in December 2003.

About WaferMasters, Inc.

WaferMasters, Inc. is a privately held corporation founded in 1999. The firm designs and manufactures thermal production tools used to fabricate advanced semiconductor devices. High equipment utilization, combined with minimum consumables usage and low maintenance, contribute to the lowest COO in the industry for RTP equipment. WaferMasters, Inc., maintains headquarters at 246 East Gish Road, San Jose, California 95112. Visit WaferMasters on the Web at www.wafermasters.com.