Abstract
If you're competing with Applied Materials, you should read this report. If your not competing with Applied Materials, think again, and read this report. Applied Materials' aggressive stance in the equipment industry means that no company is safe.
Applied Materials' product strategies are based on a sixfold focus:
1. Providing solutions to users' problems. Applied Materials' product technology is based on identifying and solving users' problems more so than offering the latest technology. The company was well aware in the early 1980s of the vacuum problems and related costs associated with the single chamber-batch process technology that was used by the entire industry. Applied Materials decided as early as in 1985 to switch to the single wafer, multi-chamber technology (SWMC) -- technology that solved the vacuum problems. In 1987 the company commercialized its first SWMC equipment. Applied Materials is also continually improving its products rather than discontinuing a line and replacing it with another line.
2. Developing and keeping core technology in-house. Applied Materials' core technology consists of deposition, etching, ion implantation, thermal processing, and CMP. The technology is developed, designed, and manufactured internally rather than bought through acquisitions. Only metrology and inspection became a core technology through acquisition
3. Process integration. This is Applied Materials' major strength, as the company is providing process sequence integration through clustering. In this method several different process chambers are capable of operating in concert on the same platform. This in turn, enhances productivity and minimizes the customers' capital investments.
4. Reducing the cost of ownership. In addition to process integration strategy, Applied Materials' focused planning, designing, and manufacturing operation led to the strategy of developing internally only three platforms -- the Precision, Endura, and Centura -- to provide its customers with system flexibility, minimum capital investment, and minimum cost of operation. A new product is not commercialized unless the company can prove a substantial reduction in cost of ownership. The company also continually improves its products to reduce training period and maintenance, and thus further reduces the cost of ownership.
5. Providing superior infrastructure. The infrastructure that supports the company's production and sales is able to respond very quickly to the market and customer needs.
6. Investing carefully in non-core products. Although the company never acquired a product line through acquisition, it did acquire metrology capabilities with the acquisition of Orbot and Opal. Applied Materials, which is successfully managing $10.7 billion in sales in FY2001, is choosing very few selected joint ventures/alliances, such as the 1993 joint venture with Komatsu to develop equipment for flat panel displays.
This report discusses the current strategies of Applied Materials as it competes for world dominance. Strategies of its competitors are also analyzed. Markets are analyzed and projected, and market shares for Applied Materials and its competitors are detailed
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Applied's Strategies
- 2.1 Market Strategies
- 2.1.1 Driving Demand for Processing Equipment
- 2.1.2 A Global Presence
- 2.1.3 Meeting Customer Needs
- 2.1.4 New CEO - New Strategy
- 2.2 Technology Strategies
- 2.3 Product Strategies
- 2.3.1 Platforms
- 2.3.2 Etch
- 2.3.3 Deposition
- 2.3.4 Ion Implantation
- 2.3.5 RTP
- 2.3.6 CMP
- 2.3.7 Metrology and Inspection
- 2.3.8 Lithography
- 2.3.9 Copper Products
- 2.3.10 Wet Clean
- 2.4 Acquisition Strategies
- 2.5 Legal Strategies
- 2.6 Financial Analysis
Chapter 3 Market Forecast
- 3.1 Market Drivers
- 3.1.1 Semiconductor Market
- 3.1.2 Technical Trends
- 3.1.3 Economic Trends
- 3.2 Applied Materials - Global Market Leader
- 3.3 Market Size and Market Shares
- 3.3.1 Chemical Vapor Deposition
- 3.3.2 Physical Vapor Deposition
- 3.3.3 Dry Etch
- 3.3.4 High-Current Ion Implantation
- 3.3.5 Rapid Thermal Processing
- 3.3.6 Silicon Epitaxy
- 3.3.7 Chemical Mechanical Planarization
- 3.3.8 Metrology and Inspection
- 3.3.9 Mask Making
- 3.4 Summary
Chapter 4 Competitive Environment
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.2 Lam Research
- 4.2.1 Strategies
- 4.2.2 Products
- 4.2.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.3 Novellus Systems
- 4.3.1 Strategies
- 4.3.2 Products
- 4.3.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.4 Tokyo Electron Limited
- 4.4.1 Strategies
- 4.4.2 Products
- 4.4.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.5 KLA-Tencor
- 4.5.1 Strategies
- 4.5.2 Products
- 4.5.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.6 Mattson Technology
- 4.6.1 Strategies
- 4.6.2 Products
- 4.6.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.7 Axcelis Technologies
- 4.7.1 Strategies
- 4.7.2 Products
- 4.7.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.8 Varian Semiconductor Equipment
- 4.8.1 Strategies
- 4.8.2 Products
- 4.8.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.9 ASM International
- 4.9.1 Strategies
- 4.9.2 Products
- 4.9.3 Financial Analysis
- 4.10 Aviza Technology
- 4.10.1 Strategies
- 4.10.2 Products
- 4.10.3 Financial Analysis
LIST OF TABLES
- 3.1 Worldwide Capital Spending
- 3.2 Top Semiconductor Equipment Revenues
- 3.3 Worldwide CVD Market Forecast
- 3.4 Worldwide CVD Market Shares
- 3.5 Worldwide PVD Market Forecast
- 3.6 Worldwide PVD Market Shares
- 3.7 Worldwide Dry Etch Market Forecast
- 3.8 Worldwide Dry Etch Market Shares
- 3.9 Worldwide Implant Market Forecast
- 3.10 Worldwide Implant Shares
- 3.11 Worldwide RTP Market Forecast
- 3.12 Worldwide RTP Market Shares
- 3.13 Worldwide Silicon Epitaxy Market Forecast
- 3.14 Worldwide Silicon Epitaxy Market Shares
- 3.15 Worldwide CMP Market Forecast
- 3.16 Worldwide CMP Market Shares
- 3.17 Worldwide M&I Market Forecast
- 3.18 Worldwide M&I Market Shares
- 3.19 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Forecast
- 3.20 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Shares
LIST OF FIGURES
- 3.1 Worldwide CVD Market Shares
- 3.2 Worldwide PVD Market Shares
- 3.3 Worldwide Dry Etch Market Shares
- 3.4 Worldwide Implant Market Shares
- 3.5 Worldwide RTP Market Shares
- 3.6 Worldwide Silicon Epitaxy Market Shares
- 3.7 Worldwide CMP Market Shares
- 3.8 Worldwide M&I Market Shares
- 3.9 Worldwide Mask Making Equipment Market Shares
