Absolutely fab in Japan

Dainippon Screen and Kobe Steel have announced a joint effort in which the two companies will work together to develop next-generation semiconductor device fabrication equipment and production processes using supercritical fluid technology.

Supercritical fluids have unique properties compared to ordinary liquids and gases. They possess densities approaching that of a liquid while having viscosities and diffusion properties similar to a gas.

The supercritical fluid process eliminates the capillary stress induced by liquid-gas phase boundaries and associated interfacial tensions associated with conventional processing.

The Dainippon Screen / Kobe Steel partnership will focus on three key areas: the use of Super Critical CO2 (SCCO2) as a post develop drying agent for sub-100nm lithography, wafer cleaning using SCCO2 enhanced with co-solvents, and SCCO2 post-clean drying applications.

Dainippon Screen and Kobe Steel will have both 200 and 300mm equipment available for customer demonstration in April 2002. Collectively, the companies will continue to develop, market, and sell semiconductor equipment using supercritical fluid technology.