WaferMasters | About Us

Mission Statement
To develop and provide innovative and cost effective technology required by the semiconductor industry to enable the next generation of semiconductor devices.

WaferMasters was born of a desire to challenge some of the design approaches that limit productivity in the semiconductor industry. In our first decade we have been busy providing new thermal process approaches for repeatable manufacturing and new tools and concepts for diagnostic metrology to understand the semiconductor physics impacting wafer performance. Here are some of our highlights and milestones:

	MAY 1999

	WaferMasters, Inc. established in California by Taro Yamazaki and Woo Sik Yoo, to serve the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

	MAY 1999

	Received large development contract from Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL) to develop a unique Single Wafer Rapid Thermal Furnace (SRTF-200 for 200 mm wafers).

	MAY 2000

	Shipped the first 200 mm production system (SAO-200AP) to a leading Japanese device manufacturer for SOG annealing application.

	MAY 2000

	Shipped the first 200 mm SRTF system (SRTF-200) to a leading Japanese device manufacturer for silicidation, dry/wet oxidation, implant annealing applications.

	DECEMBER 2000

	Shipped the first 300 mm production system (SAO-300LP) to a major fab in Japan for H2 annealing, Al sintering and Cu annealing applications.

	JUNE 2001

	Granted US patent for unique wafer processing system (Mini Batch Furnace).

	JUNE 2001

	WaferMasters Service Factory established in Kumamoto, Japan.

	DECEMBER 2001

	Shipped the first 300 mm SRTF evaluation system (SRTF-300AP) to the first 300 mm wafer fab in Japan for film densification, dry oxidation, implant annealing applications.

	APRIL 2002

	First Patent on Flash Annealing granted by US Patent Office

	JUNE 2002

	Shipped multiple 200 mm SAO systems (SAO-200AP & LP) to a leading European device manufacturer for SOG anneal and Cu annealing applications.

	JANUARY 2004

	Collaboration with Kyoto Institute of Technology began. The work includes the Raman Scattering and Photoluminescence characterization of semiconductor materials under process.

	NOVEMBER 2005

	Patents filed for Dynamic Wafer Surface characterization and stress management system and spectroscopy system. Basis for WaferMasters' OSP-300 and MRS-300 systems.

	OCTOBER 2006

	Patent filed for Raman and Photoluminescence systems for advanced anaysis of semiconductor lattice characteristics. Basis for WaferMasters' MRS-300 and MPL-300 systems.

	OCTOBER 2007

	SRTF-302LP, high productivity platform shipped to a major Asian device manufacturer.

	JANUARY 2008

	Multi-wavelength photoluminescence (PL) successfully measures dopant activation and crystal quality recovery in implant annealed silicon at lattice level.

	JUNE 2008

	OSP-300, Optical Surface Profilometry introduced for point-by-point wafer level stress characterization and wafer surface topolgy mapping.

	JUNE 2008

	Development of MRS-300, Multi-wavelength Raman Spectroscopy, completed on-site evaluation and system introduced to the industry. Applications are extended to SiGe, eSiGe, Si;C, SiN on Si, epitaxial Si, wafer-bondig, SOI quality and Silicide characterizations.

	MARCH 2009

	50th US patent was granted.

	JUNE 2009

	Surface and side-wall damage of 35nm to 22nm technology node planar and 3D devices characterized by WaferMasters' diagnostic metrology measurement suite.

	JANUARY 2010

	Multiwavelength Raman stress mapping on Cu-filled TSVs (Through Silicon Vias) for 3D interconnect was demonstrated.