Lucent Selects Applied Materials' Epi Centura for SiGe Applications; Applied Materials' Epi Technology Preferred for Fast-Growing New Silicon Germanium Market
Silicon Germanium, a complementary material to silicon, allows the formation of faster performing transistors with lower power consumption to enable high-speed telecommunications and wireless applications. Unlike alternative materials such as gallium arsenide, SiGe is fully compatible with current silicon manufacturing technology.
"Applied Materials expects SiGe to be one of the emerging growth markets for epitaxial technology, since it offers chipmakers a way to attain higher speeds without device scaling," said Grant Imper, general manager of Applied Materials' Epi Division. "The Epi Centura provides the industry with the proven technology that allows customers to develop new SiGe processes and quickly bring them to production. Lucent's selection of the Epi Centura validates our system's performance for this challenging application."
Applied Materials sold its first Epi Centura for SiGe applications more than four years ago and currently retains a leadership position in this market. The SiGe process has been well characterized on the Epi Centura for both blanket and selective film deposition, demonstrating low pressure capability, precise temperature control and excellent particle performance.
Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol "AMAT." Applied Materials' web site is http://www.AppliedMaterials.com.