Supporting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's vision for New York State's continued leadership in the global high-tech economy, SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY Poly CNSE) and Israel’s Metro450 consortium today jointly announced plans to develop and produce Standard Calibration Wafers (SCW) for use with 300mm and 450mm metrology and process tools. The initiative will generate $2.9 million in investment and support more than 100 jobs in New York and Israel.
Today’s announcement is an outgrowth of the partnership announced by Governor Cuomo on March 20, 2013 between SUNY Poly CNSE and the Israeli Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) America's division in MATIMOP. Under the framework of this partnership, both sides are committed to generate advances in nanotechnology and expand joint research, development and business opportunities. The SCW project includes a $1.6 million commitment from Metro450 and $1.3 million in products, services and tool time from SUNY Poly CNSE.
Establishing industry benchmarks for efficacy is a vital component in the transition from 300mm to 450mm wafer technology. Without standardization, manufacturers would develop their own calibration techniques, yielding extended lead times, additional development costs, and unpredictable results. The SUNY Poly CNSE-Metro450 partnership will develop and produce the worldwide standard for semiconductor tool calibration and matching. Successful completion will enable an estimated $50 million market potential for both the 300mm and 450mm development community.
“Today’s announcement is a testament to New York’s global leadership in nanotechnology research and development, as envisioned by Governor Andrew Cuomo, and sets the stage for additional economic and employment opportunities for both New York and Israel,” said Paul Farrar, General Manager of Global 450mm Consortium (G450C) and SUNY Poly CNSE Vice President for Manufacturing Innovation. “The international expertise represented by the SUNY Poly CNSE-Metro450 partnership will enable further advances and marks another milestone in the transition to 450mm technology.”
“We are pleased to witness the success of this unique collaboration with SUNY Poly CNSE – a world renowned research center in the field of nanotechnology – in accelerating innovation and in enabling companies in New York and Israel to commercialize technological solutions in the global market,” said Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy of the State of Israel. “We are looking forward to furthering this partnership as a catalyst for economic growth in both regions.”
“Israel is a world leader in semiconductor metrology and inspection and our collaboration with SUNY Poly CNSE, one of the leading R&D facilities in the world, will generate significant advances in 450mm technology and provide positive economic impacts in both New York and Israel,” said Menachem Shoval, Chair of Israel’s Metro450 Consortium. “We are thrilled to see the continued growth of its collaboration with SUNY Poly CNSE and the State of New York, and we extend our gratitude to Governor Cuomo and SUNY Poly President Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Chief Scientist Avi Hasson and Dan Vilenski – who is leading the Israeli National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI), for their continued support and partnership.”
Metro450 is an Israeli consortium, operating under the MAGNET program of OCS, which aims to encourage metrology technology development in Israel while preparing for the industry transition to 450mm wafer technology. Five companies including Applied Materials Israel (AMIL), Nova, Jordan Valley, Nanomotion and Intel Israel have joined together to bring forward the most advanced developments in silicon wafer metrology. Metro450 also includes 19 researchers from 4 universities: Technion, Haifa University, BGU and TAU- conducting dozens of projects in support of the consortium.
The goal of the Magnet program, operated by Israel's Ministry of Economy’s office of chief scientist (OCS) is to provide a competitive position for Israel's industry with regard to state of the art technologies. It is chartered to initiate, guide and sponsor dedicated consortia, based on collaboration between Israeli industrial companies and academic institutes.
Metro450 consortium members, consisting of key IDM, equipment makers, and academia, will work with SUNY Poly CNSE to enable and validate the most advanced metrology tool calibration targets. Metrology is the science of measurement and, in the semiconductor field, refers to how devices are gauged for efficacy. For the successful industry transition 300mm to 450mm technology, standard efficacy levels must be established for better semiconductor metrology and inline process control.
