Alliance on chemical mechanical planarisation

TMP and BASF have entered into a licence and joint development agreement for copper and barrier CMP slurries.

TMP and BASF have entered into a licence and joint development agreement for copper and barrier CMP slurries (CMP, chemical mechanical planarisation).

This agreement will leverage TMP's leading technological position and BASF's expertise in nanotechnology, product development and global marketing and distribution.

Under the agreement, BASF will manufacture and distribute these slurries to customers based outside of Japan, who are within the key markets for semiconductor materials.

Further developments of the licensed products will be performed jointly with TMP.

The new agreement is a significant expansion of BASF's activities in the electronic materials markets and targets the highly innovative area of copper and barrier CMP slurries.

These are important process chemicals for the planaristion of silicon wafers.

The two companies will jointly focus on product - and hence customer process - improvements by combining BASF's chemical and nanotechnology expertise and market knowledge with TMP's application and product knowhow.

"TMP and BASF intend to leverage their combined expertise in copper- and barrier CMP-polishing and chemistry aimed at system innovations for the semiconductor industry", said Takehisa Ohkawa, Chief Executive of TMP.

"We look forward to addressing our customers with our strengthened CMP portfolio and to find the right solution for their polishing needs in order to help them to be more successful", said Dr Karl-Rudolf Kurtz, Group Vice President of BASF's Global Electronic Materials Business Unit.

"TMP has a well-established track record of developing and applying copper and barrier CMP-slurries to customers in the Japanese home market".

"Through this license and joint development agreement, TMP and BASF will benefit twofold: by combining TMP's products with BASF's global customer reach as well as joining TMP's application knowhow with BASF's very broad chemical expertise", stated Kurtz.

BASF has a long-standing experience in the area of high purity chemicals and tailor-made formulations for the semiconductor and flat panel display industry.

TMP has advanced technology and specific products in the field of fine and precise polishing and planarisation for the semiconductor and hard disk drive industry.

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