BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, and MAINZ, Germany, July 10, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- ASM International N.V. (Nasdaq:ASMI) (Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam:ASM) and NanoPhotonics AG today announced that integrated metrology solutions developed in close partnership with end-users are now being tested under process conditions at several major chip manufacturers.
Two years ago, ASM and NanoPhotonics entered into a strategic partnership to integrate NanoPhotonics' ultra-compact thin film and particle metrology solutions into ASM's Advance(r) 400 series of vertical furnaces.
According to Albert Hasper, ASM's worldwide product manager for vertical furnaces, "Customers view integrated metrology as a way to lower costs per wafer by improving through-put and cycle time. It reduces the use of test wafers and potentially enhances yields."
Dr. Michael Abraham, NanoPhotonics CEO and President, commented that "Customers eye double-digit productivity enhancements by using the Integrated Metrology solution both companies offer." He noted that "Total Integrated Metrology not only means new hard and software, but also includes the implementation into the fab logistics."
NanoPhotonics fully automated, thin-film metrology integrated into the Advance(r) 400 series of vertical furnaces is a series Ellipson process ellipsometer. The Ellipson is able to measure films below 1nm with sub-Angstrom repeatability. Thus, even meta-stable ultra thin gate oxides can be measured under the perfect conditions provided by the purged N2 ultra-clean atmosphere of the A412(tm) furnace mini-environment.
The system enables the customer to carry out go-no-go decisions without the need to use stand-alone metrology. The technology saves the time needed for stand-alone metrology and thus considerably enhances the productivity of the furnace bay. All operations to run a stable system over a time period of weeks, such as calibration and tool matching, are fully automated. ASM provides not only a solution for a single furnace, but a total solution enabling the customer to carry out Advanced Process Control.
About ASM
ASM International N.V. is headquartered in Bilthoven. ASM International is a global company, serving one of the most important and demanding industries in the world. The Company possesses a strong technological base, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, a competent and qualified workforce and a highly trained, strategically distributed support network. ASM International's subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International and its subsidiaries provide production solutions for wafer processing, assembly and packaging through their facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM international's common shares trade on Nasdaq (symbol ASMI) and the Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASM's Website at http://www.asm.com.
ASM International holds a 24% interest in NanoPhotonics AG.
About NanoPhotonics AG
NanoPhotonics AG provides ultra-compact thin film measurement and surface monitoring equipment, application and knowledge support. Its equipment can be integrated into tools or be used in a stand-alone fashion to measure uniformity, thickness of thin films, even below 1 nanometer thickness, as well as particles and other defects. The Company offers its products in a close partnership with equipment manufacturers and end-users. NanoPhotonics' Website is http://www.nanophotonics.de.
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