IMEC has licensed its RotagoniTM drying technique to the Precision Machinery Company, Ebara Corporation, Japan, a leading equipment supplier for the semiconductor industry. The patented drying technique allows for a fast, high-performance, watermark-free drying necessary to single-wafer wet cleaning.

Sub-100nm design rules require fast and efficient rinsing and drying techniques for single-wafer processing. The RotagoniTM drying technique is an answer to these needs. Using this drying technique, a horizontally placed wafer rotates at low speed while ultra-pure water and a tensioactive vapor are dispensed onto the wafer surface. This gives rise to the so-called Marangoni effect, a surface-tension-gradient effect that creates a force on parts of the liquid, which removes the rinsing liquid physically rather than by evaporation. This results in a fast, high-performance and watermark-free drying technique.

"This agreement with Ebara underlines the innovative character and significance of our RotagoniTM drying technique," says Gilbert Declerck, President and CEO of IMEC. "We are very pleased that the RotagoniTM drying technique will be integrated in the products and tools of Ebara Corporation."

"We hope and believe that the integration of the RotagoniTM drying technique would give added value and potential competitiveness to our wet processes and equipment," says Manabu Tsujimura, CTO, Precision Machinery Company, Ebara Corporation. "Ebara wishes that this would become a good start of long-term relationship with IMEC."

For more information:

Katrien Marent
Corporate Communication Manager
IMEC, Kapeldreef 75
B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37
Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be