Tokyo Electron

Annual Report 2012

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FeatureCorporate GovernanceCorporate Citizenship

R&D/Intellectual Propertyn Research and Development

Financial Section

Corporate Datan Intellectual Property

Research and Development/Intellectual Property
Research and Development
The semiconductor industry will continue toexpand.
Electronic devices pervade every corner of the world, and thenumber of semiconductors in each device continues to increase.
In the future, the reach of semiconductors will not be limited tocomputers and telecommunications but will expand to healthcare, agriculture and myriad other applications. Already a corecomponent supporting modern society, semiconductors willtake on an even large role as their applications expand.
Technology is driving the growth in the semiconductor industry. Speed is increasingly important in achieving technology
development. In this ultra-competitive era, business opportunities are lost if technology—even superior technology—misses its
window. Tokyo Electron establishes development sites close to
the customers and builds collaborative relations to acceleratetechnology commercialization and ensure that the right technology is supplied to customers exactly when they need it.
The development of cutting-edge technology, commonly
called “high technology,” requires the integration of expert
knowledge in a variety of fields to invent entirely new technicalconcepts. The proactive use of open innovation to gain outside
knowledge has become increasingly important as a result. InApril 2012, Tokyo Electron relocated its corporate R&D division,
which is tasked with developing future technologies, from
Yamanashi to the newly established TEL Technology Center
Tsukuba, in Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan). Tsukuba has been amagnet for R&D organizations, and we will increase collaborative research efforts with these outside organizations on new
semiconductor materials, photovoltaic (PV) power generation,and other high-tech fields to nurture new seed technologies.
Over the next five to ten years, the research and development
activities at Tsukuba will crystallize into new products which will
become the foundation of Tokyo Electron’s future growth.

In the area of three-dimensional interconnect (3DI) packaging, in which multiple silicon chips are stacked to increase performance, we are pursuing commercialization ofhigh-aspect-ratio silicon etch systems and proprietary polyimide
dielectric film deposition systems to support through-silicon via(TSV) technology. These efforts will prepare Tokyo Electron for
the full-fledged arrival of 3DI packaging technology.

Developing Low-Power-Consuming
Semiconductors
In recent years, semiconductors’ power consumption has
become a major issue. With an astounding number of miniaturized elements packed onto a small silicon chip, the chip’s power
consumption rises dramatically and a significant amount of heatis generated. At datacenters where large numbers of servers
and other electronic equipment are concentrated, it is amazing
to find that cooling the electronic equipment requires more
power than the equipment itself. It’s not an exaggeration tostate that semiconductors will not advance unless their power
consumption is reduced. Amid this conundrum, important technological innovations are being made with the goal of reducing
the power consumption of semiconductors.
One approach to lower power consumption involves changing the structure and materials of transistors. Intel Corporation
announced the introduction of the world’s first 22nm-node
three-dimensional transistor (Tri-gate FET) which promises both
low operating voltage and high performance. Tokyo Electron is
supporting the device manufacturers of these kinds of threedimensional transistors with the development of new products
which incorporate proprietary low-damage plasma technologies needed in the transistor manufacturing process.

Addressing Environment and Energy-related
IssuesThe Tokyo Electron Group is leveraging all of its resources toaddress the global issues of the environment and energy.
PV power generation is widely considered to be the green
energy solution of the future. Though the photovoltaic cell
Evolution of Semiconductors

Chip Scaling and 3DI Packaging Initiatives
The value of semiconductors is rooted in scaling, or miniaturization.
Tokyo Electron has always been at the cutting edge of lithography technology innovation. We are developing resist coatingsand development technology for extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
lithography, a next-generation lithography technology, while
continuing to enhance our multiple patterning technologies.
Additionally, we have begun intensive collaboration withuniversities and research consortiums on the development of
directed self-assembly (DSA) technology in which patterns areautomatically formed using a substance’s chemical attributes,
eliminating the need for exposure. Through these efforts, wehave built a structure to ensure we can fully support whatever
lithography technology takes hold in the marketplace.

In other areas of technological innovation for transistors,
indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge) areamong the new materials being adopted. Considering silicon’slong history as the core semiconductor material, its replacementwith InGaAs and Ge represents a major innovation. Many of thecurrent semiconductor manufacturing processes, including epitaxial growth, surface processing, and gate dielectric film formation, require innovation. Tokyo Electron views the changes in theindustry as new opportunities. We are proactively responding torecent innovations in semiconductor materials with the development of new equipment and processes.
Another approach to reducing power consumption is thedevelopment of nonvolatile memory based on new scientificprinciples and materials. Semiconductor manufacturers areracing to develop spin transfer torque-magnetoresistive random
access memory (STT-MRAM), a promising technology seen as
the possible next-generation memory device. STT-MRAM
records data in terms of 1s and 0s by changing the direction of
the magnetic field. Since no electricity is used to store data,
STT-MRAM device can operate using less than half the energy
consumed by today’s DRAM and SRAM devices. We are collaborating with Tohoku University, the world’s leading technology
research organization in this field, to develop cutting-edge manufacturing technology for STT-MRAM to ensure that we are fully
prepared for the advent of the technology in the marketplace.

industry continues to experience a harsh business environment
due to oversupply and plunging panel prices, significant
medium- to long-term industry growth is expected. Tokyo
Electron is accelerating the development of thin-film silicon PV,
considered optimal for large-scale power generation due tolower manufacturing costs gained from reduced silicon usage,
with the goal of enhancing conversion efficiency. PV-related
R&D will be consolidated at the newly established TEL Technology Center Tsukuba. The center will be engaged in research anddevelopment on PV manufacturing technology using different
materials besides thin-film silicon, including new chemical compounds and organic materials.

Exploring New Fields
Tokyo Electron nurtures new fields of research in order to ensure
the company’s sustainable growth.
One example is the development of manufacturing technology for printed electronics, a field attracting significant attention. Innovative printed electronics technologies utilizing
patterning and deposition have the potential to greatly lower
display panel manufacturing costs. Tokyo Electron is a memberof the Japan Advanced Printed Electronics Technology Research
Association (JAPERA) and monitors the development of applicable products for insights on promising new technologies.
We also have our sights on life sciences and other fields withstrong growth potential. The boundaries of our technologicalinnovation are not limited to miniaturization and other semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Instead, we are pursuing
applications of our technology to fields outside semiconductor
manufacturing and taking initiatives to create new industries
and business areas.

Joint Development of Next-generation Memory withTohoku University
Advantages of STT-MRAM*1• Magnetic materials used
• Low power consumption• Non-volatile

TOHOKU UNIVERSITYTEL Technology Center Tsukuba — Our New R&D Base

3D Transistor(Logic FinFET)

3D NAND

3DI TSV

We have established a new R&D base in the city of Tsukuba, theworld’s pre-eminent academic town. The center is engaged inresearch on PV manufacturing technology, semiconductor manufacturing technology, and a variety of new seeds technology.

New transistor structurethat enables both lower
power consumption andhigher device performance.

New NAND flash memory
with vertically stacked
memory cells realizing
higher capacity.

Through-silicon via interconnection technology forthree dimensional chip
stack achieving higherperformance.

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Magnetic materials
technology
Device design technology

STT-MRAM*1

Process technology
Equipment technology*1 STT-MRAM: Spin Transfer Torque-Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory

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