BASF and IBM Co-develop Electronic Materials for Integrated Circuits
BASF announced an agreement with IBM to jointly develop electronic materials required in the production process of the highest level integrated circuits. Under the agreement, BASF and IBM will develop chemical solutions for integrated circuit manufacturing processes based on 32-nanometer technology for high-performance, energy-efficient chips. The technology and related chemicals and materials are expected to be commercially available from major manufacturers in the semiconductor industry in North America, Asia and Europe as early as 2010.
Dr. Feininger, senior manager of BASF’s Electronic Materials Division, said: “This is a major step forward in our efforts to meet the future challenges of the IC industry. The collaboration will benefit from IBM’s leading process development capabilities for semiconductors with BASF’s expertise and innovative practices in chemicals and nanotechnology.”
Dr. Ronald D. Goldblatt, Distinguished Engineer and Senior Manager of IBM Research, said, “IBM and BASF believe this project will enable both companies to maintain their leadership position in the semiconductor industry. Chemistry will play an increasingly important role in the development of next-generation (32nm) IC products, and as a major chemical company, BASF will provide a broad and interdisciplinary background of expertise, as well as its many years of experience in semiconductor-related chemical solutions.”
Today’s most sophisticated chip technology (45nm) will be available by the end of 2007. However, current efforts to develop smaller and smallest size chips pose significant challenges for materials and chemicals. The project will be carried out jointly at IBM in YorktownHeights, New York, USA, and at BASF’s headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
In 2006, the global IC industry generated sales of approximately $260 billion, an increase of 9 percent over the previous year. Microprocessors in the most advanced IC products control a wide range of devices from computers to cell phones and digital microwave ovens. In recent years, integrated circuits have continued to evolve to smaller sizes and have made continuous improvements in performance, density and cost per unit of functionality. As the size continues to shrink, the realization of these improvements will be more dependent on the development and application of new materials and structures.