- 20 July 2006 -

AIXTRON receives first order for merged ALD and AVD® technologies

Aachen, Germany – July 10, 2006 – AIXTRON AG, a leading manufacturer of deposition equipment to the global semiconductor industry, today announced that it has received the first system order from a leading Asian memory manufacturer for a combined Genus 300 mm Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) StrataGem and Atomic Vapor Deposition (AVD) technologies.

This order represents a progressive step into next-generation solutions for High-k Dielectrics in DRAM Capacitor sub 45nm high volume production. DRAM technology continues to be a major driver of innovations in process technology and manufacturing equipment for Genus products.

Installation will start during third quarter 2006; revenues will be booked in the second half of 2006.

One year after the completion of the AIXTRON – Genus merger, the new entity reaps further significant benefits from its strength in product development.

ALD and AVD technologies have already demonstrated that they can overcome many of the limitations of current film deposition techniques. The process modules combining ALD and AVD technologies will be installed at the customer’s purpose-built 300 mm R&D fab, are a driving force into mainstream/HV semiconductor processing.

The joint development program represents an important step forward in strengthening AIXTRON’s position for providing enabling deposition solutions for these emerging semiconductor applications.

The initial work will focus on:

• Evaluation of various high-k dielectrics and metal gate materials for large-scale production purposes
• Integration of those materials into high-k gate stacks & advanced DRAM capacitors
• Optimization of DRAM and CMOS device structures for Sub-45nm.

Dr. William W. R. Elder, the Member of AIXTRON’s Executive Board responsible for all of AIXTRON’s silicon business interests comments: “Many of Genus' primary customers are major chip manufacturers in the memory (DRAM and FLASH) segment of the semiconductor industry. The process modules are based on a patented process chamber concept and have achieved a leading position for the deposition of tungsten silicide (WSix) and high-k materials, primarily used in memory and capacitor applications.
With ALD, AVD technologies and the company’s core tungsten silicide CVD platform, we are now able to offer our customers a full and comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor process technologies.”

The Department of Information Technology has launched several programs to develop an indigenous photonics capability.

The initiative covers systems, devices and materials, with research being conducted at several Indian research and educational institutes in order to hasten development.

A national facility will be created for packaging photonic devices at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering and Research in Mumbai. An auto-alignment system to align fibers with devices for maximum coupling of light will also be established at the Mumbai facility.

Passive photonic devices such as planar light circuits built on a variety of substrates will benefit from the packaging work. Trial packaging runs have been carried out on power splitters, and companies are now evaluating the splitters.

A laser weld system needed for active device packaging is being set up here, according to the IT ministry.

Elsewhere, a national institute at Pilani in northern India has developed laser diode chips while efforts are underway at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi to develop an optical amplifier system.

A preliminary study is also underway at an institute here on photonic devices using polymer as a sandwich layer between fixed and flexible electrodes.