Jul 17 2007
Momentive Performance Materials Inc. today announced that its pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) ceramic heaters will be used by KDF, in an innovative new tool designed to support commercialization of proprietary phase-change memory (PCM) technology. The Momentive heater assemblies will be used in all five stations of the KDF Ci (Cluster Intelligence) tool, which will be launched in the third quarter to serve the research needs of the semiconductor industry.
The Momentive PBN heaters will enable KDF to offer a research tool that supports a wide range of temperature, pressure and other processing conditions. The pyrolytic boron nitride heater assemblies will be demonstrated in the Momentive booth (North Hall, booth 6146) at the SEMICON West 2007 trade show, taking place July 16-20 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.
“The outstanding thermal uniformity, high ramp rate, and high temperature operation of the Momentive PBN heaters are fundamentally important to the performance of our new Cluster Intelligence tool,” said Kurt Flechsig, president & CEO, KDF Electronic & Vacuum Services, Inc. “The ability of the Momentive engineering team to deliver its industry-leading technology on time and on budget will give our new Ci tool significant advantages in the marketplace.”
“KDF’s selection of Momentive ceramic heaters is a testament to the design and engineering expertise we deliver to the semiconductor industry,” said Ray Kolberg, president, Momentive Quartz and Ceramics.
Momentive’s PBN heaters and electrostatic chucks (e-chucks) combine the unique electrical, chemical, and thermal properties of PBN, a dielectric material, and pyrolytic graphite, an electrical conductor. The Momentive PBN heaters feature a high temperature capability exceeding 1500 degrees Celsius, ramp rates up to 600 degrees C/minute, and thermal uniformity greater than 99%.