Applied Materials Partners with SCREEN To Bring Advanced Wafer Cleaning Technologies to EPIC Center - GlobeNewswire

Applied Materials has partnered with SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. (SCREEN SPE) to advance advanced wafer cleaning technologies through its EPIC Center in Silicon Valley. This collaboration... Read original →

Applied Materials’ deep integration with SCREEN SPE at the EPIC Center signals a paradigm shift from isolated tool innovation to end-to-end process co-optimization. Technically, wafer cleaning now dictates yield at sub-3nm nodes where atomic-scale contamination derails GAA and EUV stacking. Politically, while U.S.-led R&D localization aims to reduce reliance on East Asia, critical wet-chemical supply chains remain anchored in Japan and Korea—exposing persistent geopolitical fragility. Competitively, Lam and TEL will accelerate bundled etch-clean offerings, especially targeting AI and HBM customers. Within 18 months, the industry will pivot toward selling validated 'process kits' rather than standalone tools, marginalizing smaller foundries lacking scale to co-develop such integrated flows.