SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Applied Materials Inc. today said it was significantly increasing investments in ion implanter production and development to keep pace with the growing demand for tools in next-generation processes and 300-mm wafer fabs.
Applied said its investment program includes hiring, increased applications development, and facility expansion worldwide. For example, the company said it was upgrading its implant facility in Horsham, England, to triple its systems production capacity. A new manufacturing line will also be added in North America to increase Applied's overall capacity. Additional Class 1 cleanrooms in R&D labs are also planned for North America, Europe, and Japan, said the Santa Clara company.
The semiconductor equipment giant did not release specific figures on the new investments for ion implanter operations. However, the company cited market projections by Dataquest Inc., which said the demand for implanters will more than double in the next five years to $1.7 billion in 2005 compared to $649 million in 1999.
"Advanced ion implantation has become a critical technology as chip makers scale their device designs to the sub-0.13 micron technology node and 300-mm wafer size," noted Craig Lowrie, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials' Parametric and Conductive Implantation Group.
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