Applied licenses AmberWave IP for strained epi layers

Peter Clarke
Silicon Strategies
(12/14/2004 10:19 AM EST)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Applied Materials Inc. has licensed strained silicon intellectual property (IP) from AmberWave Systems Corp. for Applied's use with its Centura system, Applied said Tuesday (Dec. 14).

Applied Materials has already sampled state-of-the-art 300mm strained silicon epitaxial wafers to a leading semiconductor manufacturer for advanced device development, the company said.

"Using AmberWave's strained silicon technology and the Applied Centura RP Epi system, we created a highly manufacturable 300-mm strained silicon epitaxial process for advanced substrates used in developing high-performance transistor designs," said Randhir Thakur, vice president and general manager of Applied's front end products group, in a statement.

AmberWave's strained silicon IP includes proprietary structures and processes to strain or "stretch" silicon's crystalline lattice structure, providing a way to increase transistor speed or reduce power consumption. Techniques are applicable to both bulk silicon and silicon on insulator wafers without scaling the size of the transistor.

About AmberWave Systems
Founded in 1998, AmberWave Systems has become a leader in the research, development and licensing of advanced technologies for semiconductor manufacturing. By funding and guiding university research, AmberWave Systems is bringing new technology developments to fruition through patents and technology licensing. In conjunction with its university research projects, AmberWave Systems conducts its own research, development and limited manufacturing in its semiconductor fabrication facility in Salem, New Hampshire. In addition, AmberWave Systems collaborates with other technology focused companies to further expand and develop its research. For more information about the company, please visit its Web site at www.amberwave.com.