BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, Dec. 20, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- ASM INTERNATIONAL N.V. (Nasdaq:ASMI) (AEX:ASM) announced today that its subsidiary, ASM America, has entered into an exclusive agreement with INNOVATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICS, the leading German development center for semiconductor technology, (IHP) to commercialize Silicon Germanium Carbon (SiGe:C) epitaxy technology, a process initially developed by IHP. This process allows extremely high-speed SiGe:C HBTs (heterojunction bipolar transistors) to be integrated into standard and advanced CMOS semiconductor chips. The resultant BiCMOS chip is capable of operating at significantly higher frequencies and will serve the rapidly expanding need for increased bandwidth in telecommunication applications.
Dr. Armand P. Ferro, ASM Epitaxial Business Unit Manager, stated, "Based on this exclusive agreement, IHP and ASM can now provide a turn-key solution for introducing SiGe:C into our customers' SiGe semiconductor chip designs. The process and production capabilities of the Epsilon(tm), ASM's highly successful epitaxy tool permit ready inclusion of SiGe:C processes into a wide variety of device designs, most notably HBT devices for high-speed communication applications. IHP has recently put this SiGe:C technology into CMOS production at a major mobile communications and logic company. In addition, IHP has developed and can make available a complete suite of device design modules for integration with a variety of existing process designs. This agreement with IHP further strengthens ASM's dominant market position in SiGe epitaxial process applications."
Prof. Abbas Ourmazd, Director of IHP, commented: "We are very pleased to have ASM, the leading supplier of epitaxy equipment, as our exclusive partner for SiGe:C epitaxy. The partnership will allow us to provide customers, worldwide, with turnkey solutions to this important process step. ASM customers will also have the opportunity to obtain access to our leading-edge 0.25-micron SiGe:C BiCMOS technology and prototyping service from our ultra-modern facility in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. We believe SiGe:C will play a key role in meeting the increasing demand for high-speed technologies for wireless and broadband."
IHP focuses on innovations in wireless, and broadband communication, with core competencies in process technology, RF circuit design, and systems. IHP has a customer base of over 30 international companies. Its ultra modern facilities and innovation culture make IHP on of the leading semiconductor research and development institutions in the world.
ASM is a world-class supplier of single-wafer epitaxial tools and related semiconductor process equipment. ASM has been building and selling epitaxial reactors since 1987 and its Epsilon reactors are used in mass production by all major semiconductor device manufacturers and wafer suppliers worldwide.
ASM International is headquartered in Bilthoven, the Netherlands. ASM International's subsidiaries design, develop, manufacture and market equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International and its subsidiaries provide production solutions for the wafer-processing, assembly and packaging segments through their facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common shares trade on NASDAQ National Market under the symbol "ASMI" and on the AEX Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASM". More information on ASM can be found on its website at http://www.asm.com.
ASM International is under no obligation to update the guidance in this release.
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