Mark LaPedus EE Times (01/13/2010 12:14 PM EST)

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. -- Leading fab tool companies continue to resist supporting 450-mm technology amid rumblings about possible delays for the next-generation wafer size.

As reported, Intel, TSMC and Samsung are separately pushing for the advent of 450-mm ''prototype'' fabs by 2012. The companies are looking for 450-mm ''demonstration'' tools at the 32-nm node and ''pilot tools'' at 22-nm. Some believe 450-mm fabs will never happen, saying the R&D costs are too expensive. No one is sure who will pay for the tools or the R&D.

At SEMI's Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) here, there are rumors that 450-mm has been pushed out, in which the pilot tools won't be ready until the 15-nm node. The recession, coupled by lackluster support from the tool vendors, could be among the reasons for possible delays, some have speculated.

Sematech, which is spearheading the charge for 450-mm, claims that fab tool vendors are quietly developing 450-mm R&D tools. At a panel during ISS, fab tool executives are still publically reluctant to endorse the technology.

''450-mm is an interesting challenge,'' said Rick Wallace, president and chief executive of KLA-Tencor Corp. ''There is no one to pay for it now. The equipment industry has no compelling reason to move to 450-mm.''

Several years ago, the transition from 200- to 300-mm wafers was painful and costly. But at the end of the day, there was a 2.6x benefit in terms of productivity for 300-mm.

To be viable, 450-mm must also see a 2.6x benefit. But to date, there is no evidence that 450-mm will be ''as big as a benefit'' compared to 300-mm, said Steve Newberry, president and chief executive of Lam Research Corp.

Others believe 450-mm is too expensive and not viable, saying that there are still gains to be made for existing 300-mm technology.

''It's time to get more out of the products we have,'' said Rick Hill, chairman and chief executive of Novellus Systems Inc. ''Get off the poppycock. No 450-mm. 450-mm is dead.''

Still, Intel continues to push 450-mm. European semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies have come together with chip maker Intel and research group IMEC to form a European 450-mm diameter wafer equipment and materials initiative, called EEMI-450.

The group has held a couple of meetings during 2009 and applied for funding under the ENIAC European nanotechnology program and under the European Union Framework Project 7 (FP7) as a so-called co-ordinated action.

A steering committee for EEMI-405 has been formed with representatives from ASM International, ASML Holding NV, Siltronic AG, Soitec SA, IMEC, Recif Technologies SA, Fraunhofer Institut of Integrated Systems and Device Technology (Fraunhofer-IISB) and two representatives from Intel.

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