WILTON, Conn. -- Silicon Valley Group Inc.'s Lithography Division here hopes to have jumped back into the 193-nanometer scanner market in full force with a $100 million order for production tools.
A spokesman for the firm said the customer for the big order, which was announced Tuesday, couldn't be identified, but industry sources said it came from Intel, which has been a strong backer of SVG.
The U.S. lithography vendor took a major hit this summer when it was forced to de-book orders from several customers, including IBM, Samsung and Hyundai MicroElectronics for the 193-nm tool, sources said (see July 14 story). At the time, SVG officials said its original 193-nm scanner with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.6, designed for 0.18-micron processing, was being redesigned for 0.13-micron design rules with a NA of greater than 0.7.
Intel took delivery of the original 193-nm scanner with 0.6 NA after IBM canceled its order, according to sources. The microprocessor giant then followed up with this week's multi-year order for SVG's redesigned 193-nm tool. Initial deliveries will start in the next 12 to 15 months.
An SVG spokesman said the toolmaker hopes the big order will put the company back into contention for other 193-nm orders for the customers that had canceled earlier. Five chip makers -- Intel, IBM, Samsung, Hyundai and Motorola -- had each invested $10 million with SVG to develop the 193-nm scanner.
The SVG production tools in the Intel order are bridge systems, which can be ordered either for 200-mm wafer fabs or new 300-mm wafer facilities. Sources said Intel will first test out 193-nm systems at its Hillsboro, Ore., development fab on 200-mm wafer lines using 0.13-micron design rules. The firm will then quickly transition into 300-mm wafers using the new lithography system at 0.13-micron processing.
According to the sources, Intel is accelerating its previously announced plan to develop and ramp up inital production of 300-mm wafers at its Oregon fabs. They believed the large SVG production order indicated that Intel was firming up plans for its projected 300-mm wafer fab slated to be built in Fort Worth, Tex.
Other 193-nm scanner deals are in the works. The UMC Group in Taiwan has ordered a Nikon 193-nm scanner, but is still awaiting delivery. Sources said Advanced Micro Devices has installed an early ASML 193-nm scanner at its Santa Clara, Calif., development fab.
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