Cumulative number of CMP equipment shipped reaches 2000 units

2016.05.27
EBARA Corporation

In May of this year, EBARA Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "EBARA") Precision Machinery Company achieved a cumulative shipment of 2,000 CMP equipment*1.
We would like to express our gratitude to the many customers who have supported us and the partner companies who have supported us.

CMP equipment is a device that achieves the flatness required in nanometers (1 nano is 1 millionth of a millimeter) in the semiconductor chip manufacturing process by chemically and mechanically polishing. EBARA developed the world's first dry-in/dry-out*2 type CMP equipment and has been shipping it since 1993.

Semiconductor chips are the brains of electronic devices and are installed in everything from smartphones and tablet devices to personal computers, home appliances, and automobiles. This is said to be the dawn of the IoT*3 era, and as electronic devices become increasingly more efficient and compact, there is a demand for technology to integrate many transistors and wiring on smaller semiconductor chips, with wiring widths now being extremely fine, ranging from 32 nanometers to 24 nanometers. In order to achieve not only miniaturization but also high integration within a limited area, today's semiconductor chips have a multi-layer structure similar to that of a skyscraper, with high-performance chips having more than 10 layers of wiring stacked on top of each other. To achieve fine wiring and multi-layer stacking, it is essential to use CMP equipment to create a high level of flatness of 10 to 20 nanometers on a wafer with a diameter of 30 cm.

EBARA's CMP equipment has achieved the nanometer-level flatness required for this miniaturization and multi-layering. Since the beginning of development, EBARA's unique concept of "carefully polishing each substrate wafer on a single table, while achieving high throughput with a four-table configuration" has been consistent. The F-REX300SII model and the latest F-REX300X model, which has improved the productivity of the cleaning section, have been adopted by many customers to meet the ever-increasing demands for process performance and high productivity.

At the same time, our Kumamoto Works, which began operation in 2001 as a mass production plant for CMP equipment, has also achieved a cumulative shipment of 1,000 units.
Regarding the Kumamoto earthquake that occurred in April, we are currently operating as usual thanks to the unparalleled cooperation of our partner companies and the united response of all our employees. Furthermore, in December 2016, a new factory building will be completed and operational as scheduled to meet further customer demands.

EBARA will not stop at achieving 2,000 units, but will continue to provide high-performance CMP equipment that meets customer needs, thereby contributing further to the development of the semiconductor industry and ultimately to the realization of a rich and comfortable society.