Making Serious Inroads into the Annealed Silicon Wafer Market (2000.11.7)

Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd. (President: Shunichi Koyanagi), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., announces that Shin-Etsu has been signed as the second vendor for Toshiba Ceramics Co., Ltd.'s (President: Kouichi Suzuki) Hi-WAFER brand of hydrogen-annealed wafers. These high-performance wafers are produced by annealing silicon wafers ambiance of hydrogen gas.

This annealing process makes a substantial improvement in performance of silicon wafers. It reduces surface defects and betters the gettering ability to trap metallic impurities. The resulting high and uniform product quality opens new dimensions for semiconductor-device miniaturization and performance enhancement.

With the addition of hydrogen-annealed wafers to its semiconductor-silicon products line, Shin-Etsu Handotai signals its determination to expand its already-commanding market position in semiconductor materials, staying at the cutting edge of technology development in diverse new market niches.

Microelectronics-device makers using Toshiba Ceramics'own wafers, wishing to ensure continuity of supply under any possible conditions, had requested Toshiba to secure a second source. There could be no better choice for the second vender than Shin-Etsu Handotai. Firmly established as world-market leader in silicon wafers over-all, Shin-Etsu provides a dependable partner for Toshiba's Hi-WAFER business development.