Tuesday, August 1, 2017

ALD helps searching for traces of drugs and bomb-making components

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Scientists searching for traces of drugs, bomb-making components and other chemicals often shine light on the materials they’re analyzing.

This approach is known as spectroscopy, and it involves studying how light interacts with trace amounts of matter. 
 

The image above depicts a new device for surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy. Infrared light (the white beams) is trapped by tiny gaps in the metal surface, where it can be used to detect trace amounts of matter. Credit: University at Buffalo.
 
One of the more effective types of spectroscopy is infrared absorption spectroscopy, which scientists use to sleuth out performance-enhancing drugs in blood samples and tiny particles of explosives in the air.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

A cool Fab movie form Intels D1X Fab

For those of you who have the hots for 3D printing, additive manufacturing and Industry 4.0 check out the real stuff happening every day 24/7. Here is a cool Fab movie form Intels D1X Fab that is a new extension of their D1D factory at the Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro, Oregon. D1D/D1X is where the company designs and manufactures all the latest technology nodes : 14nm, 10nm and 7nm technology.

 Screendump (youtube.com)

At 00:18 in the movie below you can spot an ASM A412 Large Batch Furnace on the left with its characteristic pale yellow and white panels and the black tinted doors and windows. Summer competition - What other tools can you spot? Any ALD machines?







ASM report strong order intake in ALD for 3D-NAND and Foundry in its 2Q 2017 report

For 2017, the leading ALD equipment manufacturer ASM International expect a clear improvement in the single wafer ALD market and they forecast the single wafer ALD market to reach a size of about USD 1.5 billion by 2020-2021. As a comparasion the ALD market as a whole was estimated to USD 1.4 to 1.5 billion in 2016 (Gartner, VLSI Research, TECHCET), including all segments (e.g. Semi, MEMS, PV, OLED and R&D).

ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today reports its second quarter 2017 operating results (unaudited) in accordance with IFRS. (LINK)

Investor presentation Q2 2017
  • New orders at €206 million were 1% above the Q1 2017 level and 29% above last year's Q2 level.
  • Net sales for the second quarter 2017 were €202 million, an increase of 40% compared to the previous quarter. Year-on-year net sales increased with 46%.
  • Net earnings of €132 million in the second quarter included a result of €84 million from the 5% sale and dilution of the ASMPT stake.
  • Normalized net earnings for the second quarter 2017 increased by €14 million compared to the first quarter 2017. Operating result increased to €38 million. The financing result included €11 million negative effects from currencies compared to €7 million negative effects in the first quarter. The result from investments decreased with €4 million due to the dilution of our stake in ASMPT. Moreover the ASMPT results in the first quarter included a one-off non-cash gain of €10 million related to the revaluation of the convertible bond.


Commenting on the results, Chuck del Prado, President and Chief Executive Officer of ASM International said: 

"In Q2 we realized sales of €202 million, which was slightly above our guidance and at a historical high quarterly level. The order intake for Q2, at €206 million, came in at the high end of the forecast and was also at the highest level in the company's history. Order intake in ALD was primarily strong from the 3D-NAND and Foundry segments. We also received several Intrepid Epitaxy orders in Q2."


OUTLOOK
Based on our current assessment, we continue to expect a clear year-on-year improvement in the single wafer ALD market in 2017, with demand in the Logic/Foundry segment remaining healthy and a strong increase in the 3D-NAND segment.

For Q3 we expect a sales level of €170-190 million, on a currency comparable level, while for the second half of 2017 as a whole we expect a sales level higher than in the first half of 2017. After the very strong orders in the past two quarters we expect order intake in Q3 at a still healthy level of €150-170 million, on a currency comparable level.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Veeco CNT ships its 500th ALD system

As reported by Solid State Technology: Veeco Instruments (Veeco) recently announced that Veeco CNT—formerly known as Ultratech/Cambridge Nanotech—shipped its 500th Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system to the North Carolina State University. The Veeco CNT Fiji G2 ALD system will enable the University to perform research for next-generation electronic devices including wearables and sensors. Veeco announced the overall acquisition of Ultratech on May 26 of this year. Executive technologists from Veeco discussed the evolution of ALD technology with Solid State Technology in an exclusive interview just prior to SEMICON West 2017.

Please find the article and interview by Ed Korczynski here (LINK)

Evolution of Atomic-Layer Deposition (ALD) technology starts with single-wafer thermal chambers, adds plasma energy, and then goes to batch processing for manufacturing. (Source: Veeco CNT, used with permision).


Friday, July 21, 2017

Join the Critical Materials Council (CMC) Conference 2018, April 26-27 in Phoenix

Join the Critical Materials Council (CMC) Conference 2018, April 26-27 in Phoenix, Arizona. Get actionable information on materials and supply-chains for current and future semiconductor manufacturing. 



Hotel location TBD

More details will be available soon on cmcfabs.org

For information on sponsorship please contact cmcinfo@techcet.com

 

Monday, July 17, 2017

Introducing the FlexAL-2D the ALD Plasma Processing System for 2D Materials

Oxford Instruments’ ALD and 2D technical specialists have teamed up with Eindhoven University of Technology research teams to develop the innovative FlexAL-2D for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides for nanodevice applications.

Source: AZoNano LINK

More information can also be found at http://www.oxinst.com/FlexAL2D
 

Saturday, July 15, 2017

RASIRC Releases Next Generation RainMaker Humidification System for Fine Water Vapor Delivery

RHS Solves ALD delivery problems by eliminating particles and microdroplets at very high or very low flow rates


San Diego, Calif – July 15, 2017–RASIRC today announced the release of the next generation RainMaker® Humidification System (RHS). The system incorporates a new control system that provides highly accurate, droplet free water vapor for advanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. The RHS has a wide mass delivery range of 50 - 5100 mg/min water mass flow rate in carrier gases. The system is capable of highly accurate and precise delivery of gaseous water into pressures from atmosphere to high vacuum.

“As demands for film quality and uniformity in ALD/ALE processes become increasingly challenging, process engineers have reached the limits with bubbler delivery methods,” said Jeffrey Spiegelman, President and Founder of RASIRC. “The RHS solves problems associated with process control and microdroplet formation, leading to better film uniformity and fewer defects.”

 
The next generation RainMaker® Humidification System (RHS)
 

Thursday, July 13, 2017

On the road to Denver for ALD2017?

Twitter is heating up with announcements of people and companies going to the ALD2017 conference in Denver 15 to 18 of July. Here is a selection of some of them. Please take a chance to download the conference app (see tweet below)













Film Sense and Kurt J. Lesker: in-situ Ellipsometry with the FS-1

The Film Sense vision “to create easy-to-use and affordable ellipsometers” is especially relevant for in-situ applications. The Film Sense FS-1 realizes this vision by providing the power of Multi-Wavelength Ellipsometry, at an affordable price and compact size that is ideal for in-situ measurements. The FS-1 can provide real time thickness data with exceptional precision, which can be indispensable for the efficient development of new ALD processes. In the plot below, the “steps” in the data are direct observations of the thickness changes on the sample throughout the ALD cycles: the thickness increases and saturates as the precursor is introduced (trimethyl aluminum in this case), and then decreases as the film is oxidized (thermally by H2O in this case). 


The relationship between Film Sense and Kurt J. Lesker dates back to almost the inception of Film Sense.  In fact, the first Film Sense FS-1 in-situ testing was performed on a Kurt J. Lesker ALD150LX reactor in 2014.  The FS-1 has since been integrated on multiple Lesker ALD reactors, and has been used to characterize a wide variety of thin films including:  Al2O3, TiO2, HfO2, and TiN.

 
The ALD150LX was designed from the ground up for advanced R&D and features remote plasma as well as in-situ ellipsometry as a primary means of real time process monitoring and control during ALD.  Patented Precursor Focusing TechnologyTM (PFTTM) prevents unwanted film deposition on sensitive surfaces inside the reactor including the analytical port windows used for light transmission during in-situ ellipsometry.  The layout of the plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) reactor makes installation and operation of the compact FS-1 unit simple and easy. 

According to Bruce Rayner, Principal Scientist – ALD at the Kurt J. Lesker Company, “The FS-1 provides excellent performance at a very attractive price, and its robust, compact design is ideally suited for in-situ ALD applications.”

If you are coming to ALD2017 in Denver, please visit the Lesker booth #31 to see a live demonstration of the FS-1 integrated on an ALD150LX reactor.  At the Film Sense booth #1, an FS-XY150 automated mapping stage will be on display.

The Film Sense FS-1 ellipsometer is now available as an option for the Lesker ALD150LX reactor.  For more information please contact Dan Hadwiger (mailto:dhadwiger@film-sense.com) or Noel O’Toole (mailto: noelo@lesker.com), or visit our websites at http://www.film-sense.com/products/fs-1-ald-applications/fs-1-lesker-ald150lx and https://www.lesker.com/newweb/vacuum_systems/deposition_systems_ald_ald150lx.cfm.

RASIRC Presents TiN ALD Grown with BRUTE® Hydrazine at ALD Conference 2017


BRUTE Peroxide and BRUTE Hydrazine showcased in technical presentations

San Diego, Calif – July 13, 2017–RASIRC will announce the latest generation of its BRUTE Hydrazine product line at the annual ALD Conference held July 15-18, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. At low temperatures, ammonia or nitrogen plasmas cannot grow nitride ALD films on three dimensional, high aspect ratio (HAR) structures. BRUTE Hydrazine solves this problem and enables process engineers to incorporate nitrides into new device architectures. 
RASIRC Chief Technology Officer Dan Alvarez will present “Low Resistivity Titanium Nitride ALD: Low Temperature Enabled by the Use of Ultra‐High Purity Hydrazine” on Tuesday July 18, at 1:45PM in Room Plaza F. Alvarez is a contributing author on another paper and two posters to be presented during the conference. RASIRC will also present the latest findings related to novel reactive chemistries for in-situ surface functionalization at Booth #16.

“The next generation of semiconductors require a new generation of precursors suited for low temperature, three dimensional deposition processes,” said Jeffrey Spiegelman, RASIRC President and Founder. “Our BRUTE chemistries meet these requirements, enabling surface functionalization, selective deposition, oxidation or nitridation without causing surface damage.”