Copper Processing Orders Remain Strong for Leading Asian Foundries
Sunnyvale, Calif., March 26, 2001 — Microbar Incorporated, a provider of chemical management systems to semiconductor fabrication facilities, has been awarded a series of orders at three leading Asian foundries for its advanced technology Copper 2.0 delivery/recovery product suite.
The award has been in association with a major electroplating tool suppliers.
All forecasts for 2001 point to continued growth and capital spending for leading edge technology equipment such as 300mm, low-k and copper. Evidence to this is the growing number of orders taken for Copper 2.0 systems.
As the demand for higher levels of performance and functionality in electronic devices continue, the industry must migrate from aluminum to copper based interconnect technology. Preservation of the raw material (copper sulfate) to the point of deposition on the wafer is one of many significant factors in the overall plating process.
Microbar's suite of Copper 2.0 products ensures chemical preservation by integrating high purity delivery to, and safe recovery of spent material from the copper deposition tool. For use on pilot as well as high production lines, the Copper 2.0 products are scalable as production volumes increase.
According to Bob MacKnight, president and COO of Microbar, " Our copper sales are indicative that technology buys are taking place amidst this time of budget cuts. We are excited about our involvement in copper and expect continued growth in this market segment throughout the remaining year."
Copper 2.0 is a suite of polypropylene systems with high purity PFA/Teflon wetted components. The included software is optimized with the capability of supporting multiple tools in preparation for expansion, thus lowering overall cost of ownership. Offered as a software option, Microbar's ChemManager( is an internet enabling control system that can monitor alarms and alerts providing proactive diagnostics and services as well as chemical usage and tracking.
About Microbar
Founded in 1991, Microbar Incorporated designs, manufactures and markets safe, cost-effective chemical management systems for semiconductor fabrication processes. Enabling both bulk and point-of-use chemical delivery and collection / treatment, these systems employ the most advanced technology to address the growing chemical management and environmental concerns in the fab for an ever-broadening array of processes.
Current applications for the company's chemical systems include DUV photoresist, CMP materials, low-k materials and copper electroplating dispense and handling. Microbar's CMP wastewater treatment system employs a patented and unique low-pressure technology, Enchem. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Microbar is a privately held, venture backed company that has maintained a greater than 40 percent CAGR for the past seven years. For additional information about Microbar visit our website at www.microbar.com.
