MTSN Mattson Technology, Inc.

SEMATECH Selects Mattson Technology's 300 mm Advanced Strip System to Develop 45 nm Porous Low-k Interconnect Solutions FREMONT, Calif., April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mattson Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTSN), a leading supplier of advanced process equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, today announced the shipment of an enhanced version of its Aspen III Highlands system to SEMATECH in Austin, TX. The 300 mm system is being installed at ATDF, SEMATECH's R&D wafer fab, which also supports external customers. Mattson's strip system will be used by SEMATECH's Interconnect Division to develop advanced interconnect structures for 45 nanometer (nm) and below chip generations targeted for Keff of 2.5 and lower. Mattson and SEMATECH will work together to develop and optimize low sidewall damage ash processes for the integration of copper with porous ultra-low dielectric constant (ULK) materials. To create advanced integrated circuits (ICs), the semiconductor industry is migrating from aluminum to copper wires insulated with low-k materials, to reduce the power dissipation, signal cross talk and delay of on chip 'wiring.' These effects can dominate the performance of complex IC's, and the negative impacts grow as feature sizes shrink. Copper interconnects, as well as low-k, enable chipmakers to shrink die sizes and pack circuitry closer together while maintaining speed, computing power and device performance throughout the chip. "The Interconnect Division's overall mission is to develop integration schemes with Keff 2.5 for the 45 nm node and beyond," said Eric Busch, Interconnect Unit process development program manager. "A key enabler for low Keff integration schemes is to significantly reduce the sidewall damage (also known as carbon depletion) on dual-damascene trench sidewalls caused by etch and ash processing. As feature sizes decrease, the sidewall damage contribution to increasing Keff becomes larger." Busch continued, "We will work with Mattson Technology to develop new low sidewall damage ash processes. This cooperative development activity will enable SEMATECH to begin achieving lower Keff-integrated device structures and, in turn, position our members and the industry to further address sidewall issues." "Porous low-k dielectric integration brings a unique set of challenges in the containment and elimination of process-induced damage," said Sitaram Arkalgud, director of SEMATECH's Interconnect Division. "Our project will seek solutions aimed at enhancing product performance and yield." "As we move toward smaller device geometries, chipmakers face multiple challenges as they integrate low-k dielectrics into their advanced manufacturing processes," said Robert B. MacKnight, chief operating officer of Mattson Technology. "Our enhanced Aspen III Highlands system demonstrated excellent results in competitive evaluations for low-k strip, residue clean and other advanced back-end-of-line (BEOL) applications. Over the past decade, we have partnered with SEMATECH on several joint development programs for advanced transistor formation, and we are very pleased to work with the Interconnect Division using our copper/low-k strip technologies to provide the industry with new interconnect solutions for the 45 nm and below era." About the Aspen III Highlands Built on Mattson's production-proven, high-throughput Aspen III platform, the Aspen III Highlands features a proprietary ICP technology with a bias capability that enables independent control of density and energy at low temperatures. The Highlands' ability to reduce operational steps simplifies integration and provides customers unparalleled cost of ownership (COO). With a low-pressure, low-temperature regime, the enhanced version of the Highlands provides improved profile control, low-k material preservation and a wider process window. The system meets the stringent requirements of advanced BEOL applications for 65 nm and below manufacturing, including ULK ash and residue and barrier layer removal. About SEMATECH SEMATECH is a global semiconductor technology development consortium that has effectively represented the semiconductor manufacturing industry on innovation issues since 1988. SEMATECH conducts state-of-the-art research, and is a highly regarded technology partner whose goal is to promote the interests common to all chipmakers. It has extensive experience collaborating with equipment and materials suppliers, as well as government and academic research centers, to refine the tools and technology necessary to produce future generations of chips. Additional information may be found at http://www.sematech.org/. About ATDF ATDF, a wholly owned subsidiary of SEMATECH, is a leading technology R&D center where research meets manufacturing for semiconductor manufacturers, equipment and materials suppliers, and others. ATDF customers can confidentially test new designs, integration methodologies, and prototype systems while protecting their own intellectual property, and development partners can work closely with one another in a custom manufacturing environment. ATDF also develops baseline processes, accepted industry-wide, that bring new tools and materials to manufacturing faster, at lower cost. More information can be found at http://www.atdf.com/. About Mattson Technology, Inc. Mattson Technology, Inc. is a leading supplier of semiconductor wafer processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company's dry strip and RTP equipment utilize innovative technology to deliver advanced processing capabilities on high-productivity platforms for the fabrication of current- and next-generation devices. Since beginning operations in 1989, the company's core vision has been to help bring technology leadership and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. For more information, please contact Mattson Technology, Inc., 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont, Calif. 94538. Telephone: 800-MATTSON / 510-657-5900. Fax: 510-492-5911. Internet: http://www.mattson.com/. Mattson Technology Contact Lauren Vu Mattson Technology, Inc. tel 510-492-6518 fax 510-492-2800 DATASOURCE: Mattson Technology, Inc. CONTACT: Lauren Vu of Mattson Technology, Inc., +1-510-492-6518, or fax, +1-510-492-2800, or Web site: http://www.atdf.com/ Web site: http://www.sematech.org/ Web site: http://www.mattson.com/

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