Exhibit 99.2
[IBIS LOGO]
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IBIS TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCES NEW I2000 OXYGEN ION IMPLANTER
FOR PRODUCTION OF SIMOX-SOI WAFERS
NEW IMPLANTER ENABLES HIGH VOLUME MANUFACTURING OF HIGH QUALITY, LOW-COST,
200- AND 300-MILLIMETER SIMOX-SOI WAFERS FOR ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
DANVERS, Mass., Mar. 20, 2002--In a move that could further accelerate the
semiconductor industry's adoption of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, Ibis
Technology Corporation (Nasdaq: IBIS), the leading provider of SIMOX-SOI
implantation equipment and SIMOX-SOI wafers to the worldwide semiconductor
industry, today introduced its new i2000(TM) oxygen ion implanter. Building on
the success of Ibis' model 1000 implanters, which have produced the vast
majority of the world's SIMOX-SOI wafers manufactured to date, this
third-generation implanter is a high-throughput, high-volume production tool for
manufacturing 200- and 300-millimeter SIMOX-SOI wafers, including the company's
Advantox(R) MLD and Advantox MLD-UT products.
Martin J. Reid, president and chief executive officer of Ibis Technology, said,
"This new i2000 implanter is a step function advance over any other oxygen
implanter available today. Consistent, high-quality wafers, the ability to
handle both 200- and 300- millimeter wafers, throughput as high as 50,000
200-millimeter wafers per year, and reduced cost of ownership are only a few of
the extraordinary features of the new i2000 implanter." Reid went on to explain
that the throughput of the i2000 implanter could increase even further "by as
much as 100%" as the thickness of SOI layers is reduced in accordance with
customers' technology roadmaps. "We are confident that the i2000 implanter will
be the new standard for oxygen ion implanters for years to come, producing
cost-effective SIMOX-SOI wafers that enable continued chip technology
advancements," added Reid.
As semiconductor manufacturers pursue faster, smaller, more power-efficient
chips, the electrical leakage from transistors into the underlying silicon,
typical of most CMOS devices, can no longer be tolerated. In fact, power
consumption and related heat dissipation issues have been identified as the most
serious obstacles to keeping pace with Moore's law. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI)
wafers contain a thin layer of insulating oxide just below the thin top layer of
silicon where the active transistors are located. This insulating layer greatly
reduces the electrical leakage into the substrate, resulting in devices that are
up to 35 percent faster or use up to 85 percent less power.
Separation-by-IMplantation-of-OXygen (SIMOX) refers to a technique used by Ibis
for manufacturing SOI wafers where an oxygen implanter creates the insulating
layer within the wafer. Compared to competing technologies, the SIMOX process
offers high quality SOI wafers at competitive costs in production quantities.
As more and more chipmakers adopt SOI technology, there is a need for growing
quantities of SOI wafers. In particular, the availability of 300-millimeter SOI
wafers is regarded as a major catalyst for broader adoption of SOI technology.
The i2000 implanter, with its ability to produce both 200- and 300-millimeter
wafers, addresses this market.
The i2000 implanter incorporates several advancements specifically aimed at
increased production throughput, including faster load and unload cycles, rapid
heating of the wafers in the process chamber, and the use of active cooling to
cool wafers quickly after processing at an operating temperature of
approximately 500 degrees Celsius.
-more-
IDIBIS INTRODUCES I2000 IMPLANTER....................................PAGE 2 OF 2
Additional features include Ibis' patented MagScan(TM) magnetic scanning beam
technology and a simplified beamline.
The overall system has a relatively small footprint, requiring less cleanroom
space than its predecessor, the Ibis 1000 implanter. But the new i2000 implanter
has a process chamber large enough to handle twenty 200-millimeter wafers or
thirteen 300-millimeter wafers in each batch.
The i2000 implanter incorporates a number of features customers expect on
leading edge processing tools. These include end-station load ports that
accommodate 200- and 300-millimeter wafers in FOUP, SMIF pods or open cassettes.
The system's software supports multiple GUI's, remote diagnostics, recipe
operation, data logging, and SECS/GEM factory communications. In addition, SEMI
standards for safety and ergonomics are supported. A modular design for ease of
shipping and installation separates the implanter into four primary modules: end
station, collimator, beamline and accelerator, and terminal.
According to Reid, the company's first i2000 implanter, "is currently being
demonstrated for several prospective customers, and is being used to produce
300-millimeter Advantox MLD wafers for customer evaluations."
ABOUT IBIS TECHNOLOGY
Ibis Technology Corporation is the leading provider of SIMOX-SOI
(Separation-by-IMplantation-of-OXygen Silicon-On-Insulator) wafers and equipment
for the worldwide semiconductor industry. The company is headquartered in
Danvers, Massachusetts and maintains an office in Aptos, California. Ibis
Technology is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol IBIS.
Information about Ibis Technology Corporation and SIMOX-SOI is available on
Ibis' World Wide Web site at www.ibis.com.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
This release may contain forward-looking statements with regard to Ibis
Technology that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties including
statements regarding the performance and capabilities of the i2000 implanter.
Such statements are based upon management's current expectations that are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements,
including, but not limited to, product demand and market acceptance risks,
general economic conditions, the impact of competitive products, technologies
and pricing, the impact of rapidly changing technology, equipment capacity and
supply constraints or difficulties, limitations on the ability to protect the
Company's patents and proprietary technology, the Company's limited history with
regard to sales of implanters, the cyclical nature of the semiconductor
industry, and other risks described in the Company's Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. All information set forth in this press release is as of
March 20, 2002, and Ibis undertakes no duty to update this information unless
required by law.
IBIS COMPANY CONTACTS: AGENCY CONTACT:
Debra L. Nelson Al Alioto Bill Monigle
Chief Financial Officer V.P. Sales & Marketing IR/PR Counsel
Ibis Technology Corporation Ibis Technology Corporation For Ibis Technology
Phone: (978) 777-4247 Phone: (978) 777-4247 or Phone: (603) 424-1184
(831) 662 9100
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Note: Ibis and MagScan are trademarks and Advantox is a registered trademark of
Ibis Technology Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.