SAFC Hitech and Air Water extend materials research collaboration to support chip industry in Japan

Published: 29-Apr-2009
Hi Tech Manufacturing

SAFC Hitech, a division of Sigma-Aldrich, has underlined its commitment to Japan's microelectronics industry by extending its collaboration with industrial and medical gas producer Air Water (AWI). The lengthened agreement builds upon the companies' provision of performance chemicals to the silicon and compound semiconductor markets in Japan, and offers Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) direct access to local, high-quality research and development facilities that can be used to develop highly advanced integrated circuits and the tools to build them.


Customer r&d will be supported at AWI's Matsumoto campus in the Nagano region of Japan. This site houses state-of-the-art laboratories and Class 1,000 cleanrooms where a range of high purity gas and chemical related research is currently performed by AWI and SAFC Hitech. ‘The innovative, highly competitive nature of Japan's semiconductor market has proven to be a significant driver in pushing the microelectronics industry forward,’ said Dr Peter Heys, research and development director at SAFC Hitech.

‘Extending our excellent working relationship with AWI provides valuable development resources to this key strategic market, one that we believe will continue to lead advancement of chip technology.’ Development work conducted at the Matsumoto facility continues the drive to support Moore's Law of developing advanced semiconductors that integrate a greater concentration of transistors per unit area to offer increased functionality while consuming less power. AWI's research facility employs three Atomic Layer Deposition Reactors that can deposit single, atom-thin layers of film in a controlled sequence cycle using specially designed chemical precursors. The facility hosts a Rapid Thermal Annealer to stabilise the crystal structure of the thin film formed and has advanced microscopy and ellipsometry equipment to examine surface topography and measure film thicknesses. www.awi.co.jp/english/index.html www.safchitech.com

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