AUSTIN, Texas and CARLSBAD, Calif. (June 25, 2002) — Motorola, Inc.'s (NYSE:MOT) Semiconductor Products Sector and DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials LLC ("DA NanoMaterials") plan, under the terms of a recent agreement, to collaborate on an advanced copper chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) formulation. Motorola will provide its CMP formulation for 0.13 to 0.10 micron design rules to DA NanoMaterials which will manufacture and market the slurry formulation globally. DA NanoMaterials is a 50/50 joint venture between Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) and DuPont (NYSE:DD).
Copper slurry is a liquid chemical abrasive that enables the removal of unwanted bulk copper off of the surface of the wafer during the semiconductor manufacturing process. The remaining copper, defined by the inlaid structures on the semiconductor etched from the oxide interlevel dielectric layer, provides the metal interconnect structures. Motorola, as one of the world's leading manufacturers of semiconductor products, has developed a copper CMP slurry that has been demonstrated to provide exceptional performance on high volume production lines. The slurry has been refined over the last three generations of advanced copper interconnect processing to enhance the key attributes required to successfully produce sub 0.13µm devices.
DA NanoMaterials was formed in January 2000 to manufacture and market CMP slurries, abrasives and related components. DA NanoMaterials and Motorola have worked closely together for the last 18 months to optimize the formulation and will now expand their relationship to market and sell the product globally.
Under the long-term agreement, the advanced slurry will be marketed under DA NanoMaterials' Ascend® trademark. Motorola will provide for the transfer of the licensed technology, as well as technical support and training while DA NanoMaterials will provide the capability for installation, manufacture of the slurry and quality control via its world-class production facility in Ruabon, Wales.
The fully formulated copper slurry provides copper removal rates in excess of 5000 A/min and very low dishing and erosion. The slurry also has exceptional stability and is compatible with most slurries used for the barrier metal layers. It is one of the few copper slurries with demonstrated performance in high volume manufacturing, providing a reduced cost of ownership for the copper CMP process.
"We have worked for a number of years to develop a copper slurry that can withstand the rigors of today's complex system-on-a-chip product demands," said Dr. Louis C. Parrillo, SPS chief technology officer, corporate vice president & director, DigitalDNA Labs. "By partnering with DA NanoMaterials, we will now be able to bring this solution to the general market and receive the benefits of establishing an industry standard."
"DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials is committed to the development of leading-edge technology for CMP and wafer polishing slurries in the marketplace," noted Robert B. Grashoff, chief executive officer of DA NanoMaterials. "Our relationship with Motorola will allow us to include a copper slurry in our product portfolio that will provide customers with a high performing, cost effective solution for the first step copper polishing process. We will be able to offer these benefits now and in the future by combining an advanced copper process developed by Motorola, along with the global supply chain, application support and slurry expertise demonstrated by DA NanoMaterials."
The total current CMP slurry market is valued at approximately $300 million and is expected to grow at an annual rate in excess of 20 percent during the next three years. The copper CMP slurry market is estimated to be $50 million of the overall total, but is expected to grow at least three times faster than the overall CMP slurry market.
About Motorola
As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector creates DigitalDNA™ system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our strong focus on wireless communications and networking enables customers to develop smarter, simpler, safer and synchronized products for the person, work team, home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $4.9 billion (USD) in 2001.
http://www.motorola.com/semiconductors/
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2001 were $30 billion. http://www.motorola.com.
About DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials L.L.C.
Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials L.L.C. (www.nanoslurry.com) combines the expertise of DuPont in developing and manufacturing colloidal silica sols and particles for electronic applications with Air Products' manufacturing and technical leadership, on-site management capabilities, sales and marketing infrastructure and logistics expertise in providing the broad range of electronic gases and chemicals that surround a process tool. The company operates a manufacturing and formulation facility in Ruabon, U.K.; a state-of- the-art applications and formulation laboratory in Tempe, Arizona; a silica lab at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and a formulation laboratory at Utsunomyia, Japan.
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