TOLEDO, Ohio, October 16, 2023 – SSOE Group, an internationally ranked architecture and engineering firm, is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of Santa Clara, California-based Integrated Engineering Services (IES), effective October 13, 2023. This strategic move marks a significant step forward for both organizations, ushering in a new era of expanded capabilities and enhanced service offerings for our valued clients.

IES, founded in 1995, is a distinguished engineering firm renowned for its expertise in MEP, Chemical and Process Engineering, Hazardous Materials, and Code Compliance. Additionally, IES brings highly sought-after Commissioning and Qualification services to the table, opening up this new service offering for SSOE. This acquisition strengthens SSOE's position in key markets, including Semiconductor, Pharmaceutical, Battery, Food and Beverage, Chemical, and Higher Education, where both firms are poised to provide even greater value and specialized solutions.

SSOE CEO Vince DiPofi, PE, expressed enthusiasm for joining of the two firms, "We are excited about this opportunity and the benefits it will bring to our clients and employees. This acquisition allows us to broaden our expertise, expand our service offerings, and deepen our resources for project execution. Together, as a combined firm, we will be able to provide even more value and support to our clients." Jeremy Woodgate, PE, SE, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, added, “SSOE and IES share a common commitment to client service and complex problem-solving, as well as a dedication to making our clients successful. IES brings impressive expertise in areas that are critical to our clients including cleanroom design, industrial and lab ventilation, specialty and toxic gas distribution piping systems, process and bulk chemical distribution systems, purity water and wastewater treatment, hazardous building codes, fire codes, and regulatory compliance and permitting.”

IES’s full team will remain with the firm, including their two co-founders Rizik Michael and Jeff Tarter. In comments on the motivation behind the deal, Tarter noted, “The cultures of our organizations align and our services complement each other. We have worked with SSOE in the past, and we are impressed by their remarkable track record of delivering large, complex projects across the United States and beyond. We are excited that our IES clients will benefit from SSOE’s comprehensive civil, facilities, and process design capabilities.”

In addition to Santa Clara, IES’s locations in Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas will further bolster SSOE’s presence in these geographic regions and provide IES clients with a growing list of 20+ additional locations to support them.

Betsy Hurner, Vice President of Corporate Development at SSOE, remarked, “This acquisition demonstrates our continued focus on adding expertise through acquisitions. We want to be a go-to partner for our clients’ most complex and challenging projects and firms with impressive skillsets like IES help us make progress toward that goal. We welcome the IES team with open arms and look forward to a prosperous future together!”

About SSOE Group
As an internationally ranked architecture and engineering firm, SSOE is known for delivering unparalleled client value that advances the AEC industry. They have been named a “Great Workplace” (Great Place to Work®) and one of the “Best AEC Firms to Work For” (BD+C).

Over the company’s 75-year history, it has earned a reputation for providing quality project solutions to high-tech and general manufacturing clients in the semiconductor, automotive, battery, food, chemical, and glass industries. SSOE also provides forward-thinking design across healthcare and general building sectors such as corporate workplace, education, and judicial—with projects completed in 40 countries.

SSOE has vast experience developing engineered solutions and implementing innovative technology for complex environments. Their portfolio of work includes the 4 million SF Ford Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, Panasonic’s 300-arce Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Campus, Toyota’s Battery Cell Production Facility, and many more.
Visit ssoe.com for more information.

About IES
Integrated Engineering Services is a full-service MEP design firm specializing in innovative and complex designs, chemical and process engineering services; specialized hazardous materials, code and risk management consulting; and commissioning and qualification services for the microelectronics, green tech, and life sciences industries.

Visit iesengineering.net to learn more.

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Deventer, October 12, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, and CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, are expanding their collaboration with the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Outer Tracker ASICs project. The long-standing partners are thus jointly facing another large and significant project.

The ASICs tested for the CMS will enable the collection of essential data during experiments in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC is purpose-built to help scientists in addressing fundamental questions within the field of particle physics.
As part of the planned 2026 upgrade to the CMS detector, CERN will again use RoodMicrotec's expertise and testing services. RoodMicrotec will test and deliver over 1,000 12" silicon wafers. The three ASIC modules on the wafers will become an integral part of the detectors. They will collect and process the enormous amounts of data that emerge during the generation of collision experiments.

"We are very pleased to have this long-standing partnership with RoodMicrotec. In the past, we have been able to successfully test and apply the ASIC components that are so important for science," says Kostas Kloukinas, project manager of the CMS Outer Tracker ASICs project at CERN.

For RoodMicrotec, the cooperation with CERN also means a lot. Especially the opportunity to contribute to the progress of science is very fascinating. Furthermore, the project helps to advance the company's own expertise even further.

"The employees of RoodMicrotec are proud to be able to significantly contribute with their services to the basic research of the large CERN family," says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec.

About CERN
CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics was founded in 1954 and is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. Here, physicists and engineers explore the fundamental structure of the universe to find out what it is made of and how it works. For their studies of the basic constituents of matter – the elementary particles – they use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments. To investigate those particles, they are accelerated to almost the speed of light and thus made to collide. The resulting events tells physicists how particles interact and provide insights into fundamental laws of nature. CERN has 23 member states and further nations from all over the world that contribute to its research programs.
For more information please visit https://home.cern/science/experiments/cms

About RoodMicrotec
With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. RoodMicrotec is a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide and offers specifically tailored turnkey solutions for each single customer's requirements. The turnkey services include project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis, and logistics. All services provided by RoodMicrotec meet the high quality standards of the automotive, industrial, healthcare, and high reliability aerospace sectors. RoodMicrotec is headquartered in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.
For more information, please visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is available in English and German. In case of conflict between these versions, the English version shall prevail.

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Kitchener, Ontario, Octover 5, 2023 – Mike Kropp, the Co-founder, President, and CEO of PEER Group®, will be inducted into the University of Toronto’s Engineering Alumni Network (EAN) Hall of Distinction during an official ceremony on November 2, 2023.

Located in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering’s Sandford Fleming Building, the Hall of Distinction honors extraordinary U of T Engineering alumni in recognition of their lifelong accomplishments and whose careers ultimately define what is most exemplary about the engineering profession.

“The EAN Awards Adjudications Committee is pleased to select Mike Kropp as a recipient for the EAN Hall of Distinction Award,” says committee member Caprice Boisvert. “It is evident that Mike has incredible vision and drive. He is an engineer who excels in leadership, mentorship, and entrepreneurship and has an innate ability to look to the future. He has built PEER Group into a successful company while at the same time making a huge impact on the semiconductor industry.”

As an Electrical Engineering undergrad, Kropp walked through the Hall of Distinction daily on the way to and from classes. “As I read the biographies of the members, I grew impressed with their contributions to the practice of engineering and the communities and markets they served,” recalls Kropp.

Following his graduation in 1986, Kropp held professional stints as a systems engineer at American Cimflex Corporation and a systems integrator at ATS. During his time at ATS, he met fellow U of T grad, Bob Harris. Kropp and Harris eventually established PEER Group in 1992. Over the next three decades, the Kitchener-based company grew from a two-person operation to a 250-person organization developing industry-leading factory automation software for the semiconductor industry.

Through it all, Kropp has leveraged his early learnings as an engineering student, developing and executing a business model and strategy firmly based on the engineering principles of curiosity, problem solving, discipline, and process.

He has also applied the lessons he gleaned reading the biographies of the early Hall of Distinction inductees: “When PEER Group was starting out, those members served as an inspiration for me to build a better company that contributes to our local community with a global impact,” shares Kropp. “I am thrilled to join their ranks and provide an inspiration for future generations of engineers.”

About PEER Group
PEER Group® is the largest supplier of innovative factory automation software products for the semiconductor industry. Since 1992, our solutions have helped the world’s most advanced OEMs and factories reduce time to market and lower costs by solving their equipment automation, data management, and process control problems. An award-winning company, PEER Group’s commitment to quality has been recognized by Intel’s EPIC Supplier Program, naming PEER Group a Distinguished Supplier in 2023 and an Outstanding Supplier in 2022. Follow PEER Group on LinkedIn.

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PENANG, MALAYSIA - OCTOBER 2023 Curious about how Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturers keep pace with fast-changing technology? Discover how automated systems are revolutionising the semiconductor industry, enhancing production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

ViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is thrilled to introduce a game-changing addition to our advanced machine vision inspection solutions: the 4-sided Auxiliary (AUX 4S+) Inspection Module. This exciting optional add-on feature is designed with our customers' needs in mind and is set to elevate the capabilities of Tray-to-Tray Vision Inspection Handler – TH3000i and Tray-to-Tape & Reel Vision Inspection Handler – TR3000i.

Our Tray-Based Vision Handlers, the TH3000i and the TR3000i are high-quality machine vision inspection solutions that support emerging industries like 5G, IoT, Automotive, and Industry 4.0, with the main difference being their handling mechanism. Both tray-based handlers are designed to support inspection capabilities that accommodate IC package sizes up to 120 mm x 120 mm, including BGA, QFP, QFN, CSP, TSSOP, MSOP, and SOP. In addition, both solutions offer an array of benefits, such as high-speed IC inspection, easy operation, quick conversion time, and low maintenance cost.

The auxiliary module inspection function enables more precise defect detection that occurs at the sides of the semiconductor device. This is achieved via dedicated optics, lighting and software algorithms. The optional advance inspection function is particularly beneficial for customers who demand stringent product quality, especially for automotive, computing, and telecommunications end-applications.

The AUX 4S+ elevates electronics manufacturing to the next level by providing a comprehensive 4-sided inspection solution. It's all about ensuring the highest quality and reliability of customers’ electronic components. Explore the awe-inspiring capabilities of the AUX 4S+ showcased below.:

Enhanced Inspection Capabilities
The AUX 4S+, built upon an innovative design concept, goes beyond conventional inspection capabilities. In addition to the bottom and side vision station, it features an additional vision module dedicated to performing direct side view inspections on specialised devices like Power Devices, Land Grid Array (LGA), and Ball Grid Array (BGA) with Metal Lid components. This advanced hardware concept incorporates high-performance cameras, precision lighting, and motorised focusing mechanisms, ensuring adaptability across a wide range of package sizes. Furthermore, its cutting-edge software concept employs advanced algorithms tailored for intricate inspections. As a result, the AUX 4S+ significantly enhances inspection capabilities, meticulously inspecting products from all angles, reducing the risk of unnoticed defects, and ultimately upholding the highest standards of quality and reliability.

Seamless Integration
Designed for seamless integration with your TH3000i and TR3000i models, the AUX 4S+ offers vision-enabled flexibility and ease of use in inspection processes. This integration streamlines workflow by harnessing the power of advanced vision technology. It reduces downtime and minimises manual intervention, resulting in faster and more efficient inspections. This vision-enabled workflow optimisation allows users to meet production schedules, reduce operational costs, and deliver products to customers with uncompromised quality.

Comprehensive Inspection Coverage
The existing TH3000i and TR3000i solutions offer 3D vision inspection, Leaded Packages Inspection, Ball Packages Inspection, Leadless Packages Inspection, Top 3D POP Inspection, 2D Barcode Inspection, Mark Inspection, Package Vision Inspection, Passive Component Inspection, and 6-sided (6S) Colour Inspection. By adding the AUX 4S+ vision inspection module, users can now comprehensively cover a wide range of inspection items, including side package defects, Lid Gap inspection, Package Height inspection, and more. With the advanced vision capabilities to ensure meticulous inspection of every detail, users can save initial costs of investments as they can now rely on one solution for various inspections.

Versatile Package Size and Thickness Support
Another significant advantage of the AUX 4S+ vision inspection module is its versatility when it comes to accommodating component sizes. From compact 2x2 mm to spacious 120x120 mm packages, the system seamlessly adapts with minimal need for conversion kits. Additionally, it offers automated conversion, effortlessly transitioning between these diverse package sizes. This not only simplifies users’ inspection operations but also minimises the need for costly specialised equipment. As a result, it improves production efficiency and keeps the operational cost to a minimum.

At ViTrox, we are dedicated to empowering users with cutting-edge solutions to enhance product quality and manufacturing efficiency. The AUX 4S+ is the latest testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence; it's a game-changer for electronics manufacturing processes.

Are you interested in learning how to further enhance your IC package inspection for better results? Get in touch with us at [email protected] to learn more about our impressive AUX 4S+ feature and master the art of automation!

About ViTrox Technologies
ViTrox is committed to being the World’s Most Trusted Technology Company and the leading solutions provider through the most innovative, advanced, and cost-effective machine vision solution of excellent quality to its customers by integrating ViTrox’s technologies, people, and strategic alliances.

ViTrox offers a full spectrum of solutions, ranging from Middle & Back-end Semiconductor Inspection Solutions, SMT PCB Assembly Vision Inspection Solutions, Integrated Industrial Embedded Solutions, and Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Intelligence Solutions. ViTrox is headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, with offices in Asia, Germany, and the United States and sales and support sites worldwide.

For more information about ViTrox’s products and services, please visit www.vitrox.com.

• Read more about Elevate Your Tray-Based Inspections with our Latest Configuration – the AUX 4S+ Inspection Module!

Deventer, September 28, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services, and Angst+Pfister Sensors and Power AG, an independently operating company of the Angst+Pfister Group, today announce their cooperation for testing semiconductor-based temperature sensors. These highly accurate sensors are able to measure extremely fine temperature differences down to +/-0.1 °C in wide temperature ranges from -45 °C to 130 °C.

Such sensitive and particularly accurate sensors will subsequently be used in industrial applications, in medical technology, and in the automotive sector and thus have to be tested with the greatest precision. In addition, these sensors have a very small drift, a repetition accuracy of 0.01 °C and a extremely fast reaction speed. Another advantage is that the sensor can be customized. The housing, the sensor technology, or the cables can be specially adapted to customer requirements.

"For this project, it was important for us to have a reliable partner who works with the utmost care. As our high-quality components are often used in very sensitive areas, they need to be tested at the highest level," says Robin Ellinger, Product Manager Temperature Sensors of Angst+Pfister Sensors and Power.

For RoodMicrotec, this collaboration means a great appreciation of its capabilities, as the company specializes in the precise testing of highly sensitive components.

"We are really pleased that the quality of our work and our capabilities are so highly appreciated in the semiconductor business. For us, the most fundamental basis of a strong cooperation is mutual trust," says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec.
About Angst+Pfister Sensors and Power AG

About Angst+Pfister
Angst+Pfister Sensors and Power AG belongs to the Angst+Pfister Group. The Group´s headquarter is located in Switzerland. It has been a leading developer and manufacturer of technical components and engineering solutions for more than 100 years. With local sales and technical support units as well as logistics centers all over the world, the company serves more than 20,000 customers of numerous industries in over 50 countries. Angst+Pfister operates state-of-the-art research and development centers in Switzerland, Turkey, and Italy. Furthermore, the company runs its own production facilities for elastomer and rubber-metal parts and compounds in Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Denmark, China, and Vietnam. To complement the capabilities, Angst+Pfister has production partners in over 15 countries, thus enabling the Group to always be at the cutting edge of technology.

Angst+Pfister attaches the utmost importance to reliability and flexibility as well as the respectful and fair treatment of all people who are somehow correlated with them. In proactively implementing the principles of the "United Nations Global Compact", Angst+Pfister pursues the goal of sustainability in all its activities in order to have a positive impact on our planet and society through pragmatic, meaningful, and measurable initiatives.

For more information please visit www.sensorsandpower.angst-pfister.com

About RoodMicrotec
With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. RoodMicrotec is a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide and offers specifically tailored turnkey solutions for each single customer's requirements. The turnkey services include project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis, and logistics. All services provided by RoodMicrotec meet the high quality standards of the automotive, industrial, healthcare, and high reliability aerospace sectors. RoodMicrotec is headquartered in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.
For more information, please visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is available in English and German. In case of conflict between these versions, the English version shall prevail.

• Read more about Test of Semiconductor-based Temperature Sensors for Angst+Pfister

Kitchener, Ontario, September 21, 2023 – PEER Group®, the largest supplier of innovative factory automation software products for the semiconductor industry, is a proud sponsor, co-chair, presenter, and moderator of this year’s Advanced Process Control Smart Manufacturing (APCSM) Conference .

Taking place virtually and in-person in Austin, Texas from October 9-12, the APCSM Conference is an annual gathering of experts and managers from various microelectronics industries, including semiconductor manufacturing. Attendees share knowledge and insight during tutorials, technical presentations, and exhibits covering various topics and trends related to APC, AI, and smart manufacturing.

Doug Suerich, PEER Group’s Director of Marketing, a co-chair of the conference, will present on the topic: Adopting cybersecurity standards for semiconductor factories.

“Securing the global semiconductor supply chain from cyberattacks is a critically important issue facing our industry,” says Suerich, who currently chairs the newly established Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium, of which, PEER Group is a founding member. “I look forward to sharing details of the work being done by SEMI on cybersecurity standards development with attendees at this year’s APSCM Conference.”

To learn more about the APCSM Conference, visit our event page.

About PEER Group
PEER Group® is the largest supplier of innovative factory automation software products for the semiconductor industry. Since 1992, our solutions have helped the world’s most advanced OEMs and factories reduce time to market and lower costs by solving their equipment automation, data management, and process control problems. An award-winning company, PEER Group’s commitment to quality has been recognized by Intel’s EPIC Supplier Program, naming PEER Group a Distinguished Supplier in 2023 and an Outstanding Supplier in 2022. Follow PEER Group on LinksedIn.

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Industry survey finds 83% of respondents would be more inclined to buy used equipment with money-back guarantee.

Moov, the largest and fastest growing global marketplace for used semiconductor equipment, today announced changes to its industry-first “Money Back Guarantee” (‘MBG’) program that will expand access to buyers by eliminating the premium previously associated with this warranty. Moov will now offer its no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee free of charge for end users (semiconductor manufacturers) who purchase semiconductor equipment and parts through Moov’s global marketplace, valid on over 90% of inventory. This announcement comes as Moov’s marketplace surpasses another milestone, exceeding $4bn FMV in active listings for pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Historically, reliability has been a significant barrier for semiconductor manufacturers looking to incorporate secondhand equipment in their procurement strategies. In fact, this problem has been so pervasive that 81% of industry respondents surveyed by Moov “strongly agree” or “agree” that reliability is a top barrier to purchasing secondhand semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

“Reliability is arguably the biggest barrier to the growth of the global secondary equipment market, and the growth of used equipment as a percentage of fabs’ overall equipment spend,” said Steven Zhou, CEO and cofounder of Moov Technologies. “In growing Moov to become the world’s largest marketplace for used equipment, solving the reliability challenge is at the core of just about everything we’ve built – from verified listings to digital inspections, white-glove logistics, and most importantly our no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.”

A money-back guarantee fundamentally shifts risk away from buyers and significantly impacts manufacturers’ willingness to purchase used equipment. Indeed, 83% of industry respondents agreed that they would be more inclined to purchase secondhand equipment if offered a 100% no-questions asked money-back guarantee.

Moov’s decision to offer its MBG free to all buyers reflects its commitment to quality.

“We eliminated the small premium on this program because Moov stands by the quality of our service and inventory on our marketplace,” said Raymond Mahon, Head of Customer Success at Moov. “All eligible purchases on Moov will now include our no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee so that buyers can fully leverage the secondary market as an integral part of their procurement strategy – without the risk historically associated with purchasing secondhand equipment.”

To learn more about Moov’s Money Back Guarantee program visit www.moov.co/services.

About Moov Technologies Inc.
Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and Austin, Texas, Moov is a technology-driven marketplace and asset management platform that matches buyers and sellers of pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Built by a team with more than 50 years of experience in the manufacturing equipment brokerage industry, Moov's platform ensures accurate listings and faster transactions. CEO Steven Zhou and Managing Director Maxam Yeung co-founded the company in 2017. To learn more, please visit Moov.co.

• Read more about Moov Offers Money-Back Guarantee Free to First Time Buyers, Expanding Global Access to Secondhand Semiconductor Equipment