Applied Materials awarded key service contract by Fujitsu Microelectronics

SANTA CLARA, USA: Applied Materials, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded an integrated service contract by Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd. to support its advanced 300mm semiconductor factory in Mie, Japan.

Under the program, Applied will service over 100 Applied chipmaking systems utilizing its innovative Applied Performance Service solution that scales service levels to match factory loading.

In addition, Applied will implement its Applied E3 advanced equipment and process control technology on Fujitsu Microelectronics Mie plant’s entire toolset to increase the efficiency, predictability and profitability of Fujitsu Microelectronics’ system-on-chip (SoC) manufacturing process.

“The SoC market requires a high degree of application-specific customization, resulting in a constantly changing product mix. Maintaining tight process control on every wafer is critical to profitability,” said Kiyoshi Watanabe, corporate vice president, Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd.

“The Applied Performance Service Program paces service and price to actual utilization rates to provide us with committed uptime performance at a low, predictable cost that tracks factory loading.”

The uniquely flexible Applied Performance Service program can reduce maintenance costs by an average of 15 percent, making it a particularly powerful strategy for chipmakers producing SoC and other cost-sensitive logic devices, especially in times of rapidly changing demand.

Using proprietary fingerprinting algorithms, the Applied E3 solution further raises cost-efficiency by optimizing and tracking the process performance of every tool in the fab.

The E3 system’s fault detection and classification (FDC) technology provides rapid feedback on tool, wafer and lot performance to avoid unexpected excursions that impact productivity and cycle time, while run-to-run control (R2R) adjusts processing parameters in real time to enable more consistent output and higher device yields.

“Applied’s high-tech service approach is a perfect match for a sophisticated and agile fab such as Fujitsu Microelectronics’ Mie plant,” said Charlie Pappis, vice president and general manager of Applied Global Services. “By combining variable service with equipment and process automation, customers can reduce costs and take advantage of the unused potential of their existing assets. The growing momentum of our service business in Asia is a testament to Applied’s unique ability to provide innovative support solutions.”