Applied Materials and DISCO Collaborate on Wafer Thinning Technology to Enable 3-D Semiconductors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Applied Materials, Inc. and DISCO Corporation today announced a joint effort to
develop wafer thinning processes for fabricating through-silicon vias (TSVs) in
3-dimensional (3-D) semiconductors. The two companies will be working together
to develop integrated, high-performance process flows intended to lower the
cost, reduce the risk and accelerate time to market for customers` next
generation chips.

Through-silicon via technology is a new method that enables higher density,
lower-power devices in a smaller footprint by vertically stacking chips. To make
this 3-D stack, each chip or wafer layer must be reduced in thickness by up to
90% and bonded to a temporary carrier in order to maintain structural integrity
during the thermal and mechanical stresses of semiconductor processing.

Combining DISCO`s precision grinding equipment with Applied`s etch, dielectric
deposition, physical vapor deposition and chemical mechanical planarization
systems, the two companies expect to develop wafer thinning and post-thinning
processes of wafers bonded to silicon and glass carriers. Some of the key
technical requirements in developing manufacturing-worthy equipment and process
solutions are wafer structural and edge integrity, handling, dimensional
control, particle control, stress management and thermal profile control.

"The alliance of Applied`s process integration expertise and our leading wafer
thinning systems is great news for chipmakers planning to use TSV technology,"
said Nobukazu Dejima, president of DISCO HI-TEC America, Inc. "The capability to
validate complete process flows using thinned wafers at our Santa Clara research
laboratory and Applied`s Maydan Technology Center gives us a unique opportunity
to exploit the advantages of thinned wafers in multiple TSV integration
schemes."

"We`re pleased to work with DISCO to advance this exciting and disruptive
technology," said Hans Stork, group vice president and chief technology officer
of Applied`s Silicon Systems Group. "Our strategy to collaborate with DISCO and
other leading equipment suppliers is an innovative way of doing business that
can deliver robust solutions to mitigate our customers` risk and lower the
overall cost of device fabrication on ultra-thin substrates."

DISCO Corporation (TOKYO:6146) provides equipment and process solutions to the
semiconductor and electronics industries utilizing our core technologies of kiru
(cutting), kezuru (grinding), and migaku (polishing). For more information,
please visit: www.disco.co.jp.

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader in Nanomanufacturing
Technology™ solutions with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service
and software products for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel
displays, solar photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient
glass. At Applied Materials, we apply Nanomanufacturing Technology to improve
the way people live. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

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Applied Materials:
Betty Newboe, 408-563-0647 (editorial/media)
Michael Sullivan, 408-986-7977 (financial community)
or
DISCO Corporation:
Scott Sullivan, 408-217-2645
scott_s@discousa.com

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