ASM International’s new technology™ improves throughput and device yield as function of within-wafer uniformity

BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands - July 22, 2002 – ASM International N.V. (NASDAQ: ASMI and Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) introduced today, at SEMICON West in San Francisco, Calif., its enabling New Technology™ that allows for superior deposition techniques for numerous semiconductor manufacturing processes. NT utilizes new chemistries to deposit uniform silicon-based films at the 100 nanometer node and beyond.
ASM’s New Technology improves the performance and manufacturing efficiency of single wafer processes for epitaxy of Si, SiGe and SiGeC, as well as RTCVD of poly- and amorphous Si, and SiGe, Si3N4 and SiO2.
New Technology demonstrates higher wafer throughput and deposition over a wide temperature range and, for many processes, at much lower temperatures than are presently commercially possible. This indicates extendibility to future device generations with low thermal budgets. At the root of this technology is the chemistry, which is substantially more reactive than conventional chemistries in use today.
According to Michael Todd, director of chemical technology, New Technology’s precursor relies on very low activation energy for dissociation of adsorbed molecules on the wafer surface, which leads to a very high growth rate over a wide temperature regime. ASM has determined the temperature at which deposition rate becomes independent of substrate temperature to be 600°C, resulting in improved control of layer thickness that facilitates greatly improved thickness uniformity and repeatability. These properties ultimately result in higher throughput, improved system uniformity and more robust processes.
“New Technology is a genuine breakthrough in our industry. It provides unprecedented ease in control of layer composition, greater uniformity of layers and the deposition of very thin, smooth films on all surfaces of importance in the device,” said Daniel Queyssac, president and COO of ASM Front-End Operations. “These are critical factors in the production of high performance logic devices and wireless devices with ever-higher operating frequency, as well as in the production of SOI wafers.”
New Technology’s complete delivery system is comprised of hardware, software and process chemistry solutions. The patent-pending technology is available on ASM’s Epsilon® reactors and Polygon™ cluster platforms. It is in the Alpha stage of R&D and customers are currently conducting demos. ASM is expected to enter the Beta phase in Q3 2002.

About ASM
ASM International N.V. is headquartered in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. ASM International is a global company, serving one of the most important and demanding industries in the world. The Company possesses a strong technological base, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, a competent and qualified workforce and a highly trained, strategically distributed support network. ASM International’s subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International and its subsidiaries provide production solutions for wafer processing, assembly and packaging through their facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International’s common stock shares trade on NASDAQ (symbol ASMI) and the Euronext Stock Exchange in Amsterdam (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASM’s Web site at http://www.asm.com

# # #
Safe Harbor Statement under the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements regarding orders, earnings development and the effects of research and new products on ASM’s future, and other matters discussed in this statement, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to economic conditions in the semiconductor industry, currency fluctuations, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, risk factors related to litigation and other risks indicated in filings from time to time with the SEC and Stock Exchange Authorities.

ASM and Epsilon are registered trademarks and New Technology and Polygon are trademarks of ASM International