EKC Technology Receives Two Patents in Japan

Semiconductor Technology Provider Receives Patents for Its HDA Cleaning Technology in Japan

18-Apr-2002

DANVILLE, Calif., -- EKC Technology, a ChemFirst Inc. company, announces that two Japanese patents were recently granted to the company extending its intellectual property coverage in Japan related to its high performance hydroxylamine based HDA(R) cleaning technology. Prior to granting the patents, the Japanese patent office reviewed an opposition that had been filed by an EKC competitor challenging issuance of the patents. Subsequently, the Japanese authorities confirmed EKC's patent rights and authorized issuance of the patents to EKC.

Recent industry market studies suggest that hydroxylamine based technology represents over 30% of the post-etch residue removal and cleaning market in Japan. These patents further strengthen EKC's position as a market leader in cleaning technology that enables cost-effective production of state-of-the-art semiconductors.

In February, EKC announced that it had also been awarded a patent in Taiwan for its HDA(R) cleaning technology.

HDA(R) products were first commercialized by EKC in 1992 and helped enable the use of dry etching processes for creating wiring interconnects for integrated circuits. EKC's products remove residues that were otherwise intractable with previous cleaning techniques. Proper cleaning after dry etch process steps is essential to achieve high manufacturing yields and more reliable semiconductor devices for the higher performance and lower power consumption needed for today's cell phones, games, computers and other electronic appliances. In addition, HDA(R) products provide device manufacturers with a wide process window, an added benefit for high volume foundry production.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/10167/ekc-technology-receives-two-patents-in-japan.html