Full Description

Aviza Technology, Inc., incorporated on September 18, 2003, designs, manufactures, sells and supports semiconductor capital equipment and process technologies for the global semiconductor industry and related markets. The Company’s systems are used in a variety of segments of the semiconductor market, including silicon processing for memory devices, advanced three-dimensional (3-D) packaging and power integrated circuits (ICs) for communications. The Company focuses on designing systems that enable device manufacturers to meet technological and manufacturing requirements. Aviza Technology, Inc. offers both front-end-of-line and back-end-of-line systems and process technologies used for the aforementioned markets addressing critical thin film formation technologies, including atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma etch (Etch) and thermal processing systems. In June 2009, the Company and its subsidiaries, Aviza, Inc. and Trikon Technologies, Inc. announced that it has filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

The Company’s customer base is diverse and includes both integrated device manufacturers and foundry-based manufacturers. Aviza Technology, Inc. has an installed base, of approximately 2,500 systems in active operation, for which it is providing ongoing parts and services worldwide. Aviza Technology, Inc. sells its systems globally primarily through a direct sales force and in some instances through local independent sales representatives. The Company’s largest customers by net sales, during the fiscal year ended September 28, 2008, were Win Semiconductor, Inc., Qimonda AG, Triquint Semiconductor Corporation, ST Microelectronics and Infineon Technologies AG.

Aviza Technology, Inc. delivers a range of semiconductor capital equipment and process technologies to serve the needs of a range of integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and packaging manufacturers. Deposition involves the application of thin films in device manufacturing. Variations of deposition processes include ALD, PVD, CVD, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) and low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). Its ALD systems include Celsior fxP and Verano 5500. The Company’s Celsior fxP ALD system is a single-wafer, multi-chamber cluster solution configurable to both 200 millimeter and 300 millimeter wafer sizes and is designed to meet process and productivity requirements with capabilities beyond the 90 nanometer node. Its Celsior fxP system is designed to offer precise atomic-level thickness control, low process temperature and conformal coatings with film quality for a range of films, including aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium silicate, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride and zirconium oxide. Its Verano ALD system is a batch wafer processing solution for 300 millimeter wafers and is designed to meet nano-scale processing and high productivity requirements with capabilities beyond the 90 nanometer node.

PVD is a process used to apply conducting, liner and barrier metal layers on an IC. One of the primary PVD methods is sputtering, a process in which an electric discharge creates ions of an inert gas, such as argon, which are then accelerated in a vacuum at a target typically composed of pure metal or a metal compound, such as aluminum, tantalum or copper. The Company’s Sigma fxP system is used to sputter uniform layers of pure metals or metal alloys and metal compounds, such as oxides or nitrides. Aviza Technology, Inc.’s Sigma fxP system supports both interconnect applications on the front side of the wafer and solder metal applications on the back side of the wafer for the power device market. Its Sigma fxP system also addresses aluminum nitride deposition for bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices for next-generation communication products. BAW devices require uniform deposition of piezoelectric films.

CVD is a process that can be used to apply thin films of dielectric and, to a lesser extent, conductive materials. During the CVD process, gases that contain atoms of the material to be deposited chemically react to form a thin film of solid material on the wafer. Typical uses for dielectric deposition by CVD include shallow trench isolation (STI) to isolate one transistor from another; the pre-metal dielectric (PMD) the insulating layer between the active components and the first interconnect metal layer; the inter-metal dielectric (IMD) the insulating layer between the different metal layers, and the final passivation layer that seals the completed device from atmospheric moisture. The Company’s Delta fxP system can be configured with up to six process modules to address different applications and markets, offering throughput, uptime and productivity.

PECVD is a form of deposition that utilizes plasma to enhance the chemical reaction rates of precursors, or the chemical ingredients that react with other ingredients to produce a thin film. PECVD processing allows deposition at lower temperatures, which is required for the proper application of certain films. The Company’s Delta i2L cluster system is capable of processing wafers up to 200 millimeter in size and produces dielectric films for use in compound semiconductor, silicon analog and mixed-signal devices.

APCVD is the process, by which chemicals are applied to the wafer in an atmospherically controlled environment. Aviza Technology, Inc.’s APCVD systems include 1500 APCVD, 1000 APCVD, and 999R APCVD and TEOS999 APCVD. The Company’s 1500 APCVD system processes 200 millimeter wafers addressing design-rule fabrication capability of 0.15 micron. Its 500 APCVD system provides both doped and un-doped deposition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS)-based silicon dioxide and can be utilized in a range of dielectric film applications for both logic and memory manufacturing requirements. Aviza Technology, Inc.’s 1000 APCVD system offers either hybrid or TEOS-reactant processes and is designed for high productivity on 200 millimeter wafer processing lines. It provides both doped and un-doped deposition of TEOS-based silicon dioxide, and can be used in a range of dielectric film applications for a variety of semiconductor applications. The Company’s 999R APCVD and TEOS999 APCVD systems are for production lines employing between 100 millimeter and 150 millimeter wafers and are capable of simultaneously processing two wafers in parallel. Both systems offer doped and un-doped silicon dioxide processing capabilities.

Etch is a process that preferentially removes material from the wafer surface by chemically converting exposed portions of the surface into a gaseous by-product that is pumped away from the process chamber. Almost all deposition processes create a film covering the entire wafer surface. The Company’s Etch systems include Omega fxP and Omega i2L. The Omega fxP offers up to six process modules plus in-line stations to allow for the alignment and the cooling down of the wafer. The Omega i2L features its plasma source technologies in a single-chamber format that combines high performance etching with small footprint and low initial capital cost for low-rate production fabrication facilities. The Company’s thermal processing systems include RVP-300plus, RVP-550, RVP-200, AVP-200 and VTR.

The Company competes with Applied Materials, Inc., Tokyo Electron LTD, ASM International N.V., Kokusai Semiconductor Equipment Corporation and IPS, Ltd.