ESPOO, Finland, 29th of April 2021 – Picosun Group has appointed Kenneth Hörhammer as Vice President, Sales, and a member of Picosun Group’s Leadership Team as of May 1, 2021.

Kenneth Hörhammer has strong international business experience as well as passion and proven results in sales development and execution. Before joining Picosun, Kenneth Hörhammer has held multiple global business and sales leadership positions at Vaisala both in Finland and abroad in the past 17 years.

“I am excited to join this fantastic team and company. The potential for ALD is almost limitless, and Picosun is spearheading this technology globally. Picosun is a bright example of Finnish high-tech innovativeness, and I am thrilled to become an integral part of this international growth story,” states Kenneth Hörhammer.

“I warmly welcome Kenneth Hörhammer to join our team. The professional background and global experience he brings to our team enable us to significantly strengthen our global sales management, build a stronger sales organization and enforce customer satisfaction,” concludes Jussi Rautee, CEO of Picosun Group.

About Picosun
Picosun provides the most advanced AGILE ALD® (Atomic Layer Deposition) thin film coating solutions for global industries. Picosun’s ALD solutions enable technological leap into the future, with turn-key production processes and unmatched, pioneering expertise in the field – dating back to the invention of the technology itself. Today, PICOSUN® ALD equipment are in daily manufacturing use in numerous leading industries around the world. Picosun is based in Finland, with subsidiaries in Germany, USA, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China mainland and Taiwan, offices in India and France, and a world-wide sales and support network. Visit www.picosun.com.

• Read more about Kenneth Hörhammer joins Picosun as Vice President, Sales

Meylan, FRANCE – April 27, 2021 – Tiempo Secure, a unique supplier of Secure Element IP cores and secure software libraries for semiconductor design companies and IC’Alps, expert in design and supply of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), today announced a strategic collaboration to widespread silicon implementation of Common Criteria (CC) EAL5+ grade Secure Element cores for IoT applications. Specifically, Tiempo Secure is relying on IC’Alps’ expertise in physical design implementation to develop the hard macro of its Secure Element named TESIC, from netlist to GDSII.

Tiempo Secure’s TESIC includes a secure MCU, secure cryptographic processors and hardware accelerators, security sensors, secure memories and standard interfaces for easy integration and test. While TESIC is already available on multiple silicon processes, including GF 55 and TSMC 40, the hard macro is now implemented by IC’Alps in GF 22 and TSMC 16 – with some other technology nodes considered in the coming months.

“By collaborating with IC’Alps for back-end implementation, Tiempo is now able to provide its customers with a wider choice in terms of technology”, said Serge Maginot, CEO of Tiempo Secure.

Serge Maginot said IoT applications are driving the demand for a new generation of Secure Elements. Indeed, with billions of IoT devices deployed, it is becoming crucial to secure our connected world with innovative and easy to implement solutions that protect sensitive data from external attacks. Tiempo Secure’s TESIC addresses this security concern with a tamper resistant hard macro designed for plug-and-play MCU or SoC integration. TESIC is delivered to the certified fab, with the guarantee chips integrating this macro will pass CC EAL5+ PP0084 and/or EMVCo security certifications.

IC’Alps provides a complete range of semiconductor design services. “We are extremely proud to be partnering with Tiempo Secure”, said Jean-Luc Triouleyre, CEO of IC’Alps. “We see a growing trend toward closer ties between IP developers and Design Houses. One reason is that few companies can afford the large investment in EDA software needed for physical implementation tasks.” The company offers customers the flexibility to choose an entry point into the ASIC/SoC implementation flow according to their needs, turnaround time, expertise and available EDA environment.

 
About Tiempo Secure
Tiempo Secure is an independent company headquartered in Montbonnot, near Grenoble, France, with customers in Europe, North America and Asia. It specializes in the development of security intellectual property (IP) in microelectronics and secure embedded software for securing connected devices. The company offers a wide range of Secure Elements IP cores (TESIC family) ready to be integrated into "System-on-Chip" (SoC) components, and allowing maximum security (Common Criteria EAL5+ PP0084 certified) of connected components: authentication on networks with integrated SIM, payment (EMVCo), government or private identification, web authentication (FIDO 2), smart car access, communication with autonomous vehicles (V2X HSM). More information can be found at www.tiempo-secure.com

About IC’Alps
IC’Alps is your one-stop-shop ASIC partner. The company provides customers with a complete offering for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and Systems on Chip (SoC) development from circuit specification, mastering design in-house, up to the management of the entire production supply chain. From its technical centre in France (Grenoble area), IC’Alps supports multiple projects in the demanding medical, industrial, transport, IoT, and mil/aero sectors. The highly qualified engineering teams cover every expertise needed and have a long experience of on-demand analog, mixed-signal and digital integrated circuits on technologies from 0.35 µm down to 16 nm. Moreover, IC’Alps has a proven track record of success with sensor/MEMS AFE interfaces, low power consumption designs, high-resolution converters, signal processing, multiprocessors architectures, hardware accelerators, to name a few. Being a partner of major semiconductor foundries, IP providers, as well as packaging and test houses, IC’Alps is well placed to support customers with full life-cycle solutions. We are proud to be Arm® approved Design Partner, a member of X-FAB’s design and supply chain partner network, as well as an Imec IC-link partner. These accreditations assure that we provide expert support and that we have the design expertise to create highly innovative ASIC designs. IC’Alps is ISO 9001, ISO 13485, EN 9100 certified, as well as Common Criteria ready. More information can be found at www.icalps.com

• Read more about Tiempo Secure Selects IC’Alps to Accelerate Silicon Implementation of Secure Element IP for IoT Applications

MILPITAS, Calif. – April 21, 2021 – SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today applauded the introduction of the Endless Frontier Act (S. 1260) to bolster U.S. semiconductor innovation. This bipartisan legislation calls for the investment of more than $100 billion in science and technology initiatives to strengthen U.S. capabilities to develop critical technologies, expand the U.S. workforce, and foster federally funded research. The legislation was introduced in the Senate today by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) and a bipartisan group of cosponsors.

“Semiconductors are the bedrock of our digital world, and the Endless Frontier Act will help ensure that critical technologies powered by chips will continue to spur innovation, create jobs, and drive economic growth,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO. “At a time when the impacts of supply chain disruptions are creating headaches in many corners of the U.S. economy, we applaud the introduction of this timely legislation. We look forward to working with Congress and the White House to enact this proposal to strengthen the semiconductor industry.”

Significantly larger public investments in semiconductor research will help drive chip innovation and growth, yielding new technologies that continue to improve our lives. The Endless Frontier Act is a key step forward by the federal government to create robust new incentives and public investments in an industry that enables countless technologies, drives innovation in sectors throughout the U.S. economy, and powers the electronic systems essential to critical infrastructure and defense systems.

About SEMI 

SEMI^® connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SEMI Contact

Samer Bahou/SEMI
Phone: 1.408.943.7870
Email: [email protected]

• Read more about SEMI Applauds Introduction of Endless Frontier Act to Boost U.S. Technology Innovation

The revolutionary Genesis ALD platform enables next-generation battery manufacturers to scale up quickly.

Beneq, a leading ALD equipment manufacturer, today announces a strategic partnership with E+R to design and commercialize innovative roll-to-roll ALD systems for R&D and volume production. The companies have together developed a revolutionary roll-to-roll ALD system.

The new ALD platform – named Genesis ALD – is targeted at various industrial R2R ALD applications, including:

- Passivation of cathodes and anodes for various types of lithium-ion and solid-state batteries
- Conductive layers and encapsulation for flexible solar cells
- Moisture barriers for flexible electronics

“Bringing Beneq’s unique roll-to-roll ALD technology together with Emerson & Renwick’s deep experience in roll-to-roll vacuum and web handling is good news for the battery industry,” says Sami Sneck, Business Executive at Beneq.

“The partnership allows us to offer state-of-the-art atomic layer deposition technology for enhancing li-ion and other next-generation batteries, where we expect to see strong market demand. There is a lot of potential for this technology in other application areas too, but the market for those end-products is yet to mature,” says Sneck.

“We have worked very well with Beneq and both companies have a good grasp of the potential markets available,” says Andrew Jack, Sales Director at E+R Group. “ E+R offers a wide range of high-end R2R vacuum equipment. This collaboration makes it easier to integrate R2R ALD with other techniques where necessary.”

The partnership is effective immediately. The new Genesis ALD system is available by inquiry for customers globally.

• Read more about Beneq and E+R Group enter strategic partnership for roll-to-roll ALD

A product recall is the process of replacing defective goods for consumers. Each year, manufacturers recall millions of products, from all types of consumer electronics to the automotive industry. The company absorbs the cost of replacing and fixing defective products.

More than just replacing of products: What a recall truly costs

The most critical damage is the loss of reputation that leads to loss of market share.
Everyone remembers about the Samsung Galaxy Recall, which resulted in the organization suffering a loss of around $3 billion dollars. Samsung at this time also lost $26 billion in value in the stock market. After a three-month-long investigation, the company determined that the incidents were caused by the combination of two types of faulty batteries from different suppliers.

According to a recent study about the automotive recalls resurgence, the number of recalls related to electronic and electrical systems have risen nearly 30 percent per year. The auto industry faces a new challenge—vehicle quality. Automakers and suppliers have paid almost $11.8 billion in claims and recorded $10.3 billion in warranty accruals for U.S. recalls in 2016. In 2017, on average, 3.1 vehicles were recalled for each vehicle sold.

The main reasons for recalls: Lack of visibility and end-to- end control in the company’s Manufacturing Operations globally.

Why is it so difficult to control the manufacturing process? In each factory we find a variety of different machines that deliver different data structures that are not unified and which do not speak “one language”.
This situation limits the ability to gain deep control and insights of the process and detect malfunctions due to quality issues and efficiency issues.

QualityLine offers now an AI solution that integrates and unifies unlimited types of manufacturing data- from any location worldwide- to one database and comprehensive automated analytics system, including data from suppliers.

The next step is to arrange the data in a Meaningful way :

Set Tests, process and field data of each unit and each step in the product's life cycle.
Ensure that Quality and Yield issues are flagged automatically.
set an effective way to identify the causes of detected problems that is quick and easy..
Set Automatic alerts and predictions of abnormal behavior.
Constantly measure all of your Key Performance Indicators.

How to use AI technology to gain end-to end control of your Manufacturing line and avoid Recalls

The digital transformation approach meets consumer demand with safe, high quality products, while maintaining effective and efficient operations with trading partners.

The technology systematically runs an automated root cause analysis that includes all your manufacturing data, including data from suppliers.
A correlation between tested parameters will predict failures. The system will send automatic alerts for abnormal behaviours preventing organisations from dealing with a recall incident.

Benefits from QualityLine AI technology
Root cause analysis and deep diagnostics/Quick drill down to a single tested unit
Prediction of failures
Automatic alerts for abnormal behaviours
Advanced Analytics model: Unlimited Manufacturing data being managed to 1 database
Financial control analytics dashboard (cost of lack of quality and yield)
Preventive maintenance of equipment

• Read more about QualityLine to offer AI Solution to Avoid Recalls and protect Brand's Reputation

YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences and “More-than-Moore” applications, today announced it is working with EV Group (https://www.evgroup.com/) and will install a YES EcoCoat™ monolayer coating system at EVG’s NILPhotonics® Competence Center in Austria. This collaboration will provide complete process flow demos for prospective semiconductor, life science and optical coatings (AR/VR) customers. EV Group is a major supplier of capital equipment for these markets.

“At YES, we aim to be the preferred technology solutions provider for material modification and surface enhancement. Achieving that goal means giving our customers, wherever they are located, what they need in order to create leading-edge products. We believe that this collaboration with EVG will help us to showcase our technologies to companies developing breakthrough products in the semiconductor, life science and AR/VR markets, and will also help us to anticipate what those companies will require to support their roadmaps,” said Rezwan Lateef, President of YES.

“Within the framework of the NILPhotonics® Competence Center, EVG partners with customers to develop efficient and differentiating manufacturing solutions for new cutting-edge markets and applications. We welcome YES’s participation in our process flow and look forward to providing a seamless, high performance process flow including YES’s solutions,” said Markus Wimplinger, Corporate Technology Development & IP Director at EVG.

Based at EVG headquarters in St. Florian, Austria, EVG’s NILPhotonics® Competence Center and Heterogeneous Integration Competence Center™ provides world-class process development services and serves as an open access innovation incubator for customers and partners across the microelectronics supply chain. Through its centers of technology excellence, EVG helps customers to accelerate technology development, minimize risk, and develop differentiating technologies and products through the implementation of nanoimprint lithography and heterogeneous integration, respectively, while guaranteeing the highest IP protection standards that are required for working on pre-release products.

About YES
YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.) is a leading manufacturer of high-tech, cost-effective equipment for transforming surfaces, materials and interfaces. The company’s product lines include vacuum cure systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, and plasma etching tools used for precise surface modification and thin-film coating of semiconductor wafers, semiconductor and MEMS devices, biosensors and medical substrates. With YES, customers ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies can create and volume-produce products in a wide range of markets, including Advanced Packaging, MEMS, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Life Sciences. YES is headquartered in Fremont, California, with a growing presence globally. For more information, please visit http://www.yieldengineering.com.

About EV Group (EVG)
EV Group (EVG) is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for the manufacture of semiconductors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), compound semiconductors, power devices and nanotechnology devices. Key products include wafer bonding, thin-wafer processing, lithography/nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and metrology equipment, as well as photoresist coaters, cleaners and inspection systems. Founded in 1980, EV Group services and supports an elaborate network of global customers and partners all over the world. More information about EVG is available at http://www.EVGroup.com.

• Read more about YES Joins Forces with EVG

Meylan, FRANCE – April 19, 2021 - IC’Alps, fast-growing French expert in the design and supply of application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), has announced a strategic collaboration with KAL for the commercialization of their ASIC services on the Israeli marketplace. Besides, IC’Alps head office is actively recruiting.

To sustain its growth objective, IC'Alps leverages two assets: the expansion of its sales force and the strengthening of its team.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to rethink the way we do business, and online meetings have their limits”, said Jean-Luc Triouleyre, IC’Alps’ CEO. “We strongly believe that customer proximity and providing face-to-face (when possible) support and sales is crucial to the success of our international expansion. Having local Sales Representatives sharing the same culture, language and time zone helps ensure that the customers’ requirements are well understood and that the sales process runs efficiently.”

KAL provides Semiconductor services since 2003 in Israel for Fablesses, Chip Makers, Foundries, Design Houses, and EDA vendors. The company joins the growing list of IC’Alps Sales Representatives including:

• Redtree Solutions Ltd
• Running Springs Technology

Each of these companies has the expertise to carry out a premium sales experience with customers in a variety of European, Asian, and North American markets including IoT, Industrial, MedTech, and Automotive which match IC’Alps’ areas of strength.

To sustain the pace of new projects brought in by its sales force, IC’Alps has recently hired experimented engineers in the field of physical implementation and analog design. And IC’Alps is still looking for new talents to continue its fast-growing ambition. The team is very active on design areas such as on demand analog blocks, sensor/MEMS interfacing, hardware accelerators and (multi)processors systems based on ARM or RISC-V cores, always with a low power approach. Talent acquisition and recruiting have always been challenging for a SME. “With an unprecedented period of expansion of the semiconductor industry in the decade ahead, another big focus for IC’Alps this year is to remain competitive in the talent market through strong corporate culture, attractive work environment, and employee benefits package”, added Jean-Luc Triouleyre.

Thanks to these efforts, IC’Alps offers a complete ASIC realization service of taking a custom chip through all the stages of specification, design, test, and manufacturing to the final logistics of delivery to customers. This leaves customers free to focus on the final device and sales where their expertise lies.

For more information, please visit IC’Alps “Sales Representatives” page on https://www.icalps.com/asic-soc-design-supply-custom-chip-services-netw…

To discover why IC’Alps is a great place to work, please visit IC’Alps “Careers” page on https://www.icalps.com/careers-opportunities-alps/ and follow us on LinkedIn

• Read more about IC'Alps Supports its Growth by Reinforcing its Staff and its Sales Rep Network

MILPITAS, Calif., and ANN ARBOR, Mich. – April 19, 2021 – SEMI, the largest global trade association for the design and manufacture of semiconductors, and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit independent automotive/mobility industry think tank, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for joint exploration to advance increased supply chain collaboration between the semiconductor and automotive industries. Building on the SEMI Smart Mobility initiative, which fosters collaboration across the global automotive electronics supply chain, the MOU lays the foundation to connect microelectronics manufacturing and design stakeholders with the automotive and mobility ecosystems through programs and events that advance both industries.

For SEMI, the collaboration with CAR supports the mission of its Smart Mobility initiative to foster mutually beneficial interactions and broaden transparent dialogue between its global member companies and the automotive ecosystem. For CAR, as electronic systems are increasingly becoming the critical differentiators in vehicles, having automakers, suppliers, and semiconductor manufacturers work together more closely will add visibility into supply and demand trends. The result is intended to help connect larger cross-sections of the supply chains and minimize the impact and risk of future chip shortages and over-supply.

“This MOU provides vehicle OEMs with access to innovation, the ability to influence technology direction and pace, along with greater visibility into global supply chain developments,” said Dave Anderson, president of SEMI Americas. “Working with CAR will expand the cross-industry collaboration that is part and parcel to our automotive electronics and mobility activities, helping SEMI members in the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain to better serve their automotive customers.”

“As automotive technology evolves, the industry will become more semiconductor-intensive – advanced safety features, electric vehicles, powertrain controls, automated driving, telematics, and infotainment all drive rapidly increasing auto chip demand,” said Carla Bailo, president and CEO for CAR. “In today’s market context, this MOU serves as a first step toward cultivating strategic partnerships between automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and semiconductor suppliers, and it can help to strengthen industry-wide efforts to share information and drive alignment.”

About SEMI Smart Mobility

The SEMI Smart Mobility initiative is designed to engage automotive OEMs, Tier 1s, device makers, design houses, equipment and materials companies as well as R&D institutes in SEMI’s Global Automotive Advisory Council (GAAC) to connect, collaborate and innovate across the global automotive electronics supply chain.

About SEMI

SEMI^® connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About CAR

The Center for Automotive Research is a nonprofit organization; its mission is to conduct independent research and analysis to educate, inform and advise stakeholders, policy makers, and the general public on critical issues facing the automotive industry, and the industry’s impact on the U.S. economy and society.

Media contacts:

SEMI
Samer Bahou
Phone: 1.408.943.7870
Email: [email protected]

CAR
Katie Ramsburgh
Phone: 1.734.476.1706
Email: [email protected]

• Read more about SEMI and Center for Automotive Research Announce Collaboration to Harmonize Semiconductor and Automotive Supply Chains

Kalispell, MT – April 14, 2021 – ClassOne Technology (classone.com), the global provider of advanced semiconductor plating and surface preparation systems, announced that it has received a multi-tool order from one of the largest Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) foundries in Asia. The order was for ClassOne’s Solstice® S8 systems and included proprietary GoldPro™ processing chambers for advanced gold plating. The announcement was made by ClassOne’s CEO, Byron Exarcos, and Senior Technology Director, John Ghekiere.

"This customer is using the Solstice S8 for high-volume HBT processes on 150mm GaAs wafers,” said Ghekiere. “They're producing advanced power semiconductor devices that involve several important gold processes, both frontend applications and backend vias. So, they were interested in our GoldPro chamber for a number of reasons: For one thing, it automatically adjusts to a broad range of substrate thicknesses, from nominal-thickness wafers to those that are mounted on thick substrates. So they don’t have to reconfigure for each substrate type.”

“Also, the GoldPro reactor is able to deliver exceptional gold plating uniformity together with high wafer throughput,” said Ghekiere. “In previous generations of gold plating systems, the user generally had to choose between plating quality and processing speed. However, GoldPro is designed to form highly stable flow structures that achieve extremely uniform feature shape without sacrificing plating rate.”

“All of this is producing a steady increase In Solstice sales, notably in high-volume fabs and in Asia," said Exarcos. “Partly it’s because of Solstice’s performance and flexibility, delivering both high-quality electroplating and surface prep processes on the same tool, which boosts production and ROI. But it’s also because of ClassOne’s high level of customer support in Asia. Many customers are just getting started in advanced electroplating technology, and they depend on us for the deep process experience and technical support they need to get from start-up to full production. For example, many of them count on our ability to provide pre-production sampling through our central Technical Development Center, which can shorten their time frames considerably. It’s this combination of world-class technology and world-class support that’s been driving many of the repeat orders we’ve been receiving across Asia and around the world.”

ClassOne’s Solstice S8 is an eight-chambered, fully-automated single-wafer production tool that delivers high-performance electroplating as well as wafer surface preparation for a range of processes, including cleaning, metal lift-off, resist strip, UBM etch and more. The Solstice series also includes the fully-automated S4 with up to four processing chambers and the semi-automated Solstice LT with up to three chambers for process development or lower-volume production.
# # #

About ClassOne Technology
ClassOne Technology (classone.com) has become the semiconductor industry’s leading provider of advanced wet-chemical wafer processing equipment for ≤200mm wafers. ClassOne’s popular Solstice® plating and surface preparation systems include the S8 with up to eight chambers and the S4 with up to four chambers for high-speed fully-automated single-wafer production. The Solstice LT provides up to three chambers for process development or lower-volume production. Complementing the Solstice platform, ClassOne has developed a series of proprietary chambers, including the GoldPro™ and CopperMax™, to uniquely optimize specific types of processing. In addition, ClassOne offers the Trident™ product lines of advanced batch-processing spin-rinse-dryers and spray solvent tools. Headquartered in Kalispell, MT, the company has successfully brought new high-performance processing technology to compound semiconductor and many emerging markets that have long been underserved by the older equipment manufacturers. Hundreds of ClassOne tools are now at work in leading fabs and research facilities around the globe, producing many of the world’s most advanced devices, from microLEDs and VCSELs to next-generation RF and sensors.

• Read more about Major Asian GaAs Foundry Orders Multiple Solstice Electroplating Systems from ClassOne