SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From SEMICON West 2009, ATMI, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATMI), launched RegenSi(r) 74, an improved and more environmentally friendly extension of its advanced test wafer recycle and reclaim products. This line of all-wet process materials is used by semiconductor manufacturers to strip away films from test wafers while limiting damage to the underlying silicon.
Designed to conform to the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, RegenSi 74 can provide customers an overall carbon footprint 18 times lower than existing three-step processes. In one case, the new process was shown to require up to 85 percent less energy and save up to 20 tons of de-ionized rinse water per day.
"RegenSi 74 is emblematic of the new, more efficient process chemistries we're working on at ATMI every day," said Lawrence H. Dubois, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ATMI. "It also demonstrates that green solutions can make economic sense. Offerings like RegenSi can lead to much more efficient fab operations."
RegenSi 74 is a next-generation test wafer reclaim and recycle chemistry specifically formulated to provide a single-step process for removal of metallization schemes. Capable of rapidly removing aluminum and copper stacks, RegenSi 74 can be implemented on major wet-bench platforms to replace existing two- or three-chemical process steps for efficiency gains. Using RegenSi 74 results in reduced chemical usage, reduced waste volumes, and greatly-reduced rinse water volumes. Additionally, with RegenSi 74, test wafers require little or no grinding and polishing to restore their surface to a reusable condition.
For the in-house wafer recycle process, RegenSi 74 works to reduce the damage caused during film stripping and can double or triple wafer reusability compared with results from existing methods.
The new formulation is designed to operate at room temperature. It can cut film removal cycle times in half and greatly reduce the amount of chemicals required for wafer reclamation. It has also been shown in some customer trials to reduce silicon loss by as much as 75 percent compared to traditional reclaim methods. The net result: semiconductor manufacturers could stand to gain up to four times more life from each test wafer, resulting in tremendous cost savings.
"Our RegenSi line has us leading the way in chemically engineered alternatives to traditional wafer reclaim and recycle methods," added Dubois. "This chemistry allows customers to reduce costs and improve the sustainability profile of their fabs simultaneously. We are very excited about our continuing efforts to bring process, economic and environmental efficiencies to our customers."
Worldwide Wafer Reclaim Market Approaching $1 Billion
Due to the high cost of purchasing prime silicon wafers, semiconductor manufacturers use lower grade test wafers when conducting tests to optimize and monitor their manufacturing processes. According to a March 2008 SEMI study, a large semiconductor fabrication facility might spend $2 million per month on test wafers. Because of the large volumes of prime and test wafers used, silicon remains by far the greatest material expense in semiconductor fabs. Historically, many semiconductor manufacturers have spent more on test wafers than they do on photoresist, chemicals, and CMP consumables combined. Thus, they are always investigating methods to allow a higher percentage of their test wafers to be used multiple times. According to Semico Research Corp., test wafer demand (as measured in millions of square inches) is expected to increase more than 60% through 2013.
For more detail on RegenSi 74, visit http://www.atmi.com/semiconductor/solution_regensi.htm.
About ATMI
ATMI, Inc. provides specialty semiconductor materials, and high-purity materials handling and delivery solutions designed to increase process efficiencies for the worldwide semiconductor, flat panel, and life sciences industries. For more information, please visit http://www.atmi.com.
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Statements contained herein that relate to ATMI's future performance, including, without limitation, statements with respect to ATMI's anticipated results of operations or level of business for 2009 or any other future period, are forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations only and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, changes in semiconductor industry growth (including, without limitation, wafer starts) or ATMI's markets; competition, problems, or delays developing, commercializing and delivering new products; problems or delays in integrating acquired operations and businesses; uncertainty in the credit and financial markets; and other factors described in ATMI's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. ATMI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
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