BusinessWire
June 14, 2006 06:00 AM US Pacific Timezone

Integrated Materials' SiFusion Boats Selected By Aviza Technology; Pure Poly Silicon 300 mm Boats to Serve Critical High-temperature Process

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 2006--Integrated Materials, Inc. announces that the company's SiFusion(TM) wafer shelf boats have been selected by Aviza Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVZA) for Aviza's RVP-300plus(TM) diffusion furnaces. Aviza chose the SiFusion poly silicon boats for their structural integrity, high purity and performance.

Diffusion furnaces execute critical, high temperature anneals for 300 mm wafers. The ultra-pure SiFusion shelf boats help to enable the Aviza furnaces to meet chipmakers' stringent criteria for crystal slip, metallic contamination, and ramp and thermal stabilization rates.

High temperature processes, designed to reduce stress on the wafer, create extreme conditions for the fixtures within the furnace, causing slip, lattice strain and other instabilities that can cause device performance degradation. SiFusion wafer carriers are constructed from pure poly silicon, which offers superior structural integrity and can survive severe temperature cycling without deformities in demanding processes that reach temperatures up to 1200(degrees)C. Slip-free results have been observed at high temperature nitrogen gas anneals on the Aviza furnaces equipped with the SiFusion wafer carriers.

"During our selection process, we found SiFusion boats offered unique competitive advantages," said May Su, vice president and general manager, Thermal Business Unit at Aviza Technology, Inc. "SiFusion boats demonstrated improved slip-free performance and thermal shock resistance of the poly silicon fixtures to help meet our customers' advanced process requirements. Additionally, SiFusion's design can be easily integrated in our system's configuration."

SiFusion furnaceware, recently released worldwide, is constructed out of pure poly silicon material and features the ideal high purity, low maintenance, improved cost of ownership and reduced environmental impact that IC manufacturers seek. The SiFusion product line includes boats, injectors, and pedestals for all vertical furnace applications in 200 mm and 300 mm environments.

"We are delighted to partner with Aviza to provide furnaceware for slip free, high temperature anneal processes," said Tom Cadwell, president and CEO of Integrated Materials. "The innovative technology behind SiFusion furnaceware overcomes the performance barriers of traditional quartz and silicon carbide in both high temperature installations and LPCVD nitride and poly process applications."

For more information on SiFusion poly silicon furnaceware, visit Integrated Materials' website at www.integratedmaterials.com.

About Integrated Materials, Inc.

With its patented SiFusion technology, Integrated Materials, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., is the first and only company to perfect the poly silicon furnace fixtures solution sought for years by the semiconductor industry. Integrated Materials' unique family of SiFusion poly silicon furnaceware eclipses traditional quartz and silicon carbide consumables by its ability to increase yield by reducing particles in LPCVD and trace metal contamination and slip reduction in high temperature process. SiFusion furnaceware improves productivity and reduces cost with the elimination of routine cleaning. Already qualified by 200 mm and 300 mm key fabs, SiFusion products are tested, proven and available now. Integrated Materials is supported worldwide by its team of application engineers and in-country support staff. For more information, visit www.integratedmaterials.com.

RVP-300plus is a trademark of Aviza Technology, Inc