I can comment on a very general level, as I don’t know the exact details of Canatu’s technology. Projects are generally divided into the following phases:
- Equipment installation; the equipment is physically installed at the customer’s site. Typically, this takes 6–12 months.
- Process ramp-up and optimization. Typically 6–12 months. This phase is usually not carried out simultaneously with phase 1.
- First test batches; these are conducted in parallel with phase 2. It is very difficult to provide any estimates for this, as it depends heavily on the process. This continues until the customer is satisfied with the product or the primary point defined in the specifications is reached.
- Usually, the customer wants the device to be connected to an existing interface within the FAB. There can be several of these, such as SECS/GEM, various process data integrations, device loading, etc. These can also easily add up to several months of work.
This outline is very rough and should not be used as a direct conclusion regarding Canatu’s CVD chamber.