YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.), a preferred supplier of process equipment for the semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences and display markets, today announced that it will deliver another VertaCure™ XP, the latest version of its flagship VertaCure vacuum curing system, to Winstek Semiconductor Co., Ltd., one of the leading testing and bump houses in Taiwan. The system will be utilized for advanced packaging mass production processes such as copper pillar and WLP to support growth driven by 5G applications, cloud servers and data centers. Winstek received its first VertaCure XP in September of 2020; this repeat order is expected to be delivered in the 2nd quarter of 2021, in order to serve growing market demand.

“The VertaCure XP system’s enhanced capabilities make it especially well-suited for the demands of ‘Beyond Moore’ advanced packaging, and its ability to handle both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers is ideal for our WLCSP application,” said Cheng-Che Tsou, Director of Bumping Engineering at Winstek.

“This follow-on order validates the technology leadership and economic value associated with YES solutions,” said Alex Chow, Asia Sales President & General Manager at YES. “The VertaCure XP’s low vacuum curing environment reduces polyimide curing process time by more than 30%, and its outgassing performance has proven far superior to that of atmospheric ovens. This significant process time reduction in the PVD degas chamber improves both CoO and throughput, not only at the curing process step but also from a process integration prospective,” added Chow. “We greatly value our strong relationship with this strategic customer and look forward to supporting their capacity expansion efforts."

“We have shipped several VertaCure XP systems over the past year, with strong interest from relatively new customers such as Winstek as well as from longtime users of YES systems,” said Rezwan Lateef, President of YES. “We are pleased to have been able to demonstrate the VertaCure XP’s superior film performance and overall value during Winstek’s evaluation process. It has been very gratifying to see the growth of YES in Taiwan extending to this key customer.”

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 https://yieldengineering.com.

About Winstek
One of Taiwan’s leading wafer bumping and testing providers, Winstek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. was founded in 2000 and has offered automated solder bumping since 2005. Applications include 200 mm and 300 mm WLCSP, 300 mm Cu pillar, and others. Winstek's customers range from major corporations to smaller innovators, with end-market products ranging from communications to computers to consumer products. For more information, please visit https://www.winstek.com.tw

• Read more about Winstek Places Second Order for YES VertaCure™ XP

MILPITAS, Calif. – April 1, 2021 – SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today applauded the inclusion of initiatives to strengthen U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research and calls for investment in the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan. In addition to calling on Congress to invest $50 billion in semiconductor manufacturing and research, in line with the bipartisan CHIPS for America Act, the plan lists semiconductors as a field of focus in its call for an investment of another $50 billion in the National Science Foundation (NSF).

“Reversing the 50% decline in the U.S. share of semiconductor manufacturing capacity over the past 20 years requires bold action, and the Biden administration’s support for significant funding to bolster the industry in its American Jobs Plan is an important step forward,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO. “Funding the authorized CHIPS For America Act provisions and enacting an investment tax credit to support investment in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain will make the United States a globally competitive location for new semiconductor facilities. The plan’s focus on addressing workforce development in the industry is encouraging as well, as the competition for talent is intensifying to support projected growth.”

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 Initiatives to Bolster Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research in American Jobs Plan

The first approvals for Corona vaccines were granted late last year. Worldwide, vaccination of people against the virus began. Currently, 552 million people all over the world have already been vaccinated (source: www.ourworldindata.org, figures as of March 28, 2021). Vacuum technology is also needed to produce and transport the vaccines. Cooling the vaccines, for example, plays an essential role in global distribution. A customer of Busch Vacuum Solutions manufactures special vaccine refrigerators and temperature-controlled transport boxes for vaccines. And is thus making an important contribution to the global fight against the pandemic.

In contrast to conventional vaccines, the logistics of Corona vaccines present a whole new challenge. The first approved vaccine comes from the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its American partner company Pfizer. To cool this vaccine, conventional refrigerators, such as those used for flu vaccines, are not sufficient. The Corona vaccine must be stored and transported at minus 70 degrees Celsius. So that it retains its full effectiveness.

In building the special refrigeration units, the Belgian company relies entirely on vacuum technology from Busch Vacuum Solutions. Vacuum is used to fill the cooling circuits of the refrigeration units with special gases. Due to the worldwide pandemic, the demand for these cooling units has risen sharply in recent months, and Busch was able to meet the expanded requirements by supplying additional vacuum pumps. These cooling units and transport equipment are sold worldwide and are used in the distribution of the vaccine around the globe. An essential product to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine reaches vaccination centers intact and patients worldwide can receive the much-needed vaccination.

• Read more about Vacuum technology enables optimum cooling of Corona vaccines

YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences and AR/VR applications, today announced that it has received a volume purchase order for the VertaCure™ XP from Taiwan-based OSAT Powertech Technology, Inc. The systems, which will be utilized for flip chip and wafer-level-packaging in high volume manufacturing, will be delivered in the first half of 2021 to address growing production demands.

“In addition to the throughput benefits, excellent particle performance and complete, reliable curing that PTI can expect to achieve by using the YES vacuum process, these VertaCure XP systems will allow PTI to develop new applications that broaden the range of solutions they can offer to their customers,” explained Alex Chow, Asia Sales President & General Manager at YES. “As advanced packaging technology requirements evolve, OSATs will continue to play an important role in the supply chain,” Chow continued. “This major win further confirms YES’s ability to deliver operational flexibility, technology leadership and highest economic value for customers.”

“We are excited to partner with PTI to provide the consumer electronic market with new technologies that make products smaller and smarter,” added Rezwan Lateef, President of YES. “As the advanced packaging market continues to expand, YES remains focused on being the preferred supplier of material modification and surface enhancement solutions.”

About YES
YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.) is a preferred supplier 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, and biodevices. 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 global presence. For more information, please visit www.yieldengineering.com.

• Read more about YES Secures VertaCure™ XP Volume Purchase Order from Powertech Technology Inc.

ESPOO, Finland, 30th of March 2021 – Picosun Group reports strong growth and a positive operating profit from its fiscal year 1.1.2020-31.12.2020.

Fiscal year 2020 in short*
• Order intake grew by 48,4% and was €40,9M (€27,5M)
• Turnover grew by 38,6% and was €37,6M (€27,1M)
• Operating profit was €0,9M (€-0,3M), which is 2,5% (-1,1%) of the turnover

A bigger portion of the new order intake and turnover, compared to previous years, consisted of sales of machines meant for production in the industry and medical sector. The growth was especially strong in Asia and Europe. Service business represented 16% (12%) of 2020 order intake.

“Despite the COVID-19 challenges we were able to continue on our growth path as planned. The pandemic led to increased investments in the medical sector. Also, remote work and the increased interest in entertainment applications grew the demand of production machines in electronics and semiconductor industries”, states Jussi Rautee, CEO of Picosun Group.

New investments in medical industry

Picosun has been involved in product development for the medical sector for some time. Protecting for example medical implants with ALD from the corrosive environment of the human body, and vice versa, is of utmost importance considering the safety, correct operation, and lifetime of the implant.

The company established a new business area, PicoMedical, in response to the increased interest and needs of the medical and healthcare ALD segments. PicoMedical’s order intake in 2020 constituted 10% of the company’s new order intake.

”We in Picosun believe that ALD will disrupt the medical industry the same way it did in the semiconductor industry. Our aim is to be the forerunner in this development”, says Jussi Rautee.

Almost a fifth of company’s turnover to research and development

During 2020 Picosun Group continued investing in its R&D functions. The company invested 18% of its turnover to various research and development activities. During 2020 Picosun filed 16 new patent applications at the European Patent Office, and 34 patent applications in various countries were granted to Picosun.

The company brought a number of significant new products to the semiconductor market. PICOSUN® Sprinter, a high throughput ALD production module for 300 mm wafers, was launched late 2020. PICOSUN® Morpher product family, designed for 200 mm wafers, grew with Morpher P (PE-ALD). For easy, intuitive and user-friendly operations of the whole PICOSUN® ALD cluster, the company launched its unified control software PicoOS™.

“Our commitment to meet our customers’ needs proactively and ensuring their future success resulted in the development work and launches that took place in 2020. This is part of ongoing work that we are continuing this year. We are also further developing ways to be in contact with our customers. Last year we took into use the leading remote support tools, taking advantage of e.g. augmented reality, that allow safe and on-time service delivery no matter the physical location of the customer”, says Jussi Rautee.

*Numbers in the brackets are 2019 non-audited consolidated numbers based on management reports.

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.

More information:

Mr. Kustaa Poutiainen
Chairman of the Board
Tel: +358 400 424 506
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Jussi Rautee
CEO, Picosun Group
Tel: +358 50 345 4457
Email: [email protected]

• Read more about Picosun Group demonstrates strong growth in 2020

BERLIN, Germany ─ March 30, 2021 ─ SEMI today announced its participation as an industry expert in a study by researchers in Coventry University’s Institute for Future Transport and Cities’ (IFTC) Systems Security Group (SSG) to examine drivers of computer hardware security adoption among businesses and consumers.

The UK government’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded Discribe (Digital Security by Design Social Science) Hub awarded SSG more than £100,000 last year for the project. Discribe aims to broaden the deployment of cybersecurity technology and help protect economies worldwide against cyberattacks. TechWorks, UK’s Deep Tech Hub, will also serve as an industry expert body in the project.

“With hardware security critically important to semiconductor innovation, SEMI is pleased to partner with the SSG team on this initiative,” said Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe. “The SSG cybersecurity project promises to arm the electronics value chain with best practices it can follow to strengthen the security of electronics.”

Professor Siraj Shaikh, Director of Research at IFTC and leader of SSG, will oversee the project with support by co-investigators Dr. Simon Parkin of TU Delft (Netherlands) and Dr. Muhammad Azmat of Aston University (UK). The project will promote commercial adoption of secure technology by identifying the greatest costs to businesses and understanding the reasons businesses choose not to implement cybersecurity. The findings promise to shed light on cybersecurity vulnerabilities for technology manufacturers, enabling them to better address security gaps in future designs.

“IFTC is committed to Discribe’s goal of mass adoption of cybersecurity by technology providers,” Shaikh said. “Digital security is vital to driving innovation in mobility and artificial intelligence (AI). We look forward to working to build public trust in these technologies to help ensure their widespread adoption.”

About Institute for Future Transport and Cities (IFTC)
The Institute for Future Transport and Cities develops pioneering mobility solutions. From accelerating the progression towards zero-carbon transport and developing inclusive design practices to ensuring the safe implementation of autonomous transport solutions, IFTC is central to solving global mobility challenges. IFTC works closely with industry to ensure that its research has real-world applications, maintaining close relationships with leading businesses within the transport sector.

About IFTC’s Systems Security Group (SSG)
The Group’s core mission is to research and engineer secure and resilient cyber-physical systems for the automotive and transport industry, working in collaboration with partners in industry, academia, and government. The SSG does this by detecting and modelling emerging threats, validating novel solutions for automotive security and resilience.

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.

Association Contact
Serena Brischetto/SEMI Europe
Phone: +49 30 3030 8077-11
Email: [email protected]
www.semi.org/eu

• Read more about SEMI Joins UK Initiative to Promote Cybersecurity Adoption

Pawtucket, RI, USA – Technic has announced the newest addition to its Semcon line of equipment for wafer-level deposition. The Semcon® Fountain is the latest development in the highly successful Semcon series of wafer plating tools by Technic. Expanding on the popularity of the Semcon 1000 for single wafer R&D processing and small-scale production, the Semcon Fountain offers additional options and features. One significant feature is a chamber design with a solution sparger that more closely resembles a full-scale production tool. The Semcon Fountain’s unique design orients the wafer in a more favorable horizontal position, mimicking most of the semiconductor mass production electroplating tools.

The Semcon Fountain is capable of processing wafers up to 300 mm and utilizes a variety of wafer “cups” for different size wafers. The Semcon Fountain can achieve optimum processing for each application by adjusting the sparger, solution flow, and shielding. Each diameter-different cup allows for maximum tool flexibility by being able to run different wafer sizes using a single plating cell, making it extremely versatile and economical. The Semcon Fountain is ideal when setting up an electroplating process for the first time, or when introducing a new metal plating bath to an already existing electroplating process.

“We could not be happier with the performance and versatility of the Semcon Fountain. We are currently operating in several locations including our R&D labs in Asia and the US for customer evaluations. The Semcon Fountain has performed with excellent results on a variety of substrates including Si, GaAs, InP, and others.”

- Anthony Gallegos
Technic Global Product Manager for Semiconductor Technology

Learn more about Technic Semiconductor products at https://www.technic.com/applications/semiconductor/semiconductor-electr… or contact us at (401) 781-6100

About Technic
For over 75 years, Technic has been a global supplier of specialty chemicals, custom finishing equipment, engineered powders, and analytical control systems to the semiconductor, electronic component, printed circuit board, industrial finishing, and decorative industries. Technic is also a major supplier of engineered metal powders to the solar industry.

• Read more about Technic announces new flexible R&D wafer plater that closely resembles a full-scale production tool