Würzburg, Germany / Brisbane, Australia – The Australian National Fabrication Facility – Queensland Node (ANFF-Q) based at the University of Queensland, Australia has placed a purchase order for the recently launched Two-Photon Polymerization tool MPO 100. The system, developed by Multiphoton Optics GmbH and manufactured by its parent company Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH, will provide cutting-edge fabrication capability in nano- and microfabrication to ANFF-Q.

“ANFF-Q is an open-door R&D facility assisting clients from industry and academia to progress their products. To expand our fabrication capabilities, ANFF-Q was looking for a nano 3D printer with highest printing resolution as well as advanced fabrication techniques and the MPO 100 met all our criteria”, says Anthony Christian, ANFF-Q Manager. “The technical details of the MPO 100 stand out from other potential candidates - especially the achievable resolution of 100 nanometers as a pivotal parameter and the very attractive stitching-free fabrication capability”, adds Juan Li, Senior Professional Officer Micro- and Nanofabrication at ANFF-Q.

ANFF-Q serves a wider scope of applications than normal R&D facilities and provides a safe, IP neutral environment where the clients’ designs and developments remain their property. The MPO 100 will be used for target applications in micro-optics, microfluidics, micro needles, and diffractive optical elements. The system will be the third Heidelberg Instruments machine after the MLA 150 and a µPG101, which are already in place at ANFF-Q.

“The MPO 100 was officially introduced into the market end at the end of January in 2022. The purchase of the tool by ANFF-Q was one of the first orders and confirms the customer-oriented development of the system. We are looking forward to a close collaboration with ANFF-Q”, says Dr. Benedikt Stender, CEO of Multiphoton Optics.

During the tender, Multiphoton Optics was supported by Heidelberg Instruments’ local distributor Nano Vacuum, which have already worked closely on several successful projects with ANFF-Q. “We are thrilled to be able to bring the first MPO 100 system to Australia. With over 25 years of experience in the nanofabrication industry, Nano Vacuum is always eager to see the conception of innovative tools and cutting-edge technologies in the research space!”, says Dr. Ava Faridi, Product Manager at Nano Vacuum.

• Read more about MPO 100 GOES AUSTRALIA: ANFF-Q PURCHASES 3D NANOPRINTER

RoodMicrotec shows strong financial performance for the year 2021, resulting in:

• Total income of EUR 14.5 million with an EBITDA of EUR 2.8 million
• Net profit of EUR 1.4 million
• Cash flow from operating activities of EUR 2.2 million

Deventer, April 21, 2022 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today publishes the Company’s Annual Report for the financial year 2021 including the audited financial statements. The 2021 Annual Report is available for download on the corporate website: www.roodmicrotec.com/en/investor-relations-en/financial-publications.

The total income for 2021 amounted to EUR 14.5 million, which was 22% higher than in 2020. The net result after taxes for 2021 was EUR 1.4 million positive, mainly due to a higher delivery of services during the year.

“We were expecting a significant increase in total income and a profit in 2021 and managed to outperform our expectations by focusing on our core business and services”, says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “We are very pleased with the overall Company development during 2021 and expect that the increase in total income will continue in 2022. The cash situation makes it possible for us to invest in capacity and capability to meet the increasing demand from the market and our customers.”

Throughout 2021, the Test Operations unit showed a sharp increase, which was related to the general up-swing in the market and the excellent position RoodMicrotec has with its customers. The Supply Chain Management unit also showed a strong increase compared to last year. In the second half of 2021, we however saw a decrease in total income compared to the first half of 2021 due to the world-wide shortage of components and raw materials in the semiconductor industry. RoodMicrotec has put actions in place to mitigate the impacts as far as possible. Some of the new projects have not yet been moved into volume production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Qualification & Failure Analysis unit saw a decrease compared to 2020 due to the delayed start of new projects. Some of these delayed projects started in the second half of 2021, so the total income in this unit increased compared to the first half of 2021.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS / MAIN DEVELOPMENTS
Financials
• Total income: EUR 14.5 million (2020: EUR 11.9 million).
• EBITDA: EUR 2.8 million (2020: EUR 1.3 million).
• Balance sheet total: EUR 15.0 million (2020: EUR 14.3 million).
• Net result: EUR 1.4 million positive (2020: EUR 0.3 million negative).
• Net cash flow from operating activities: EUR 2.0 million (2020: EUR 1.5 million).
Commercial/operational
• RoodMicrotec now offers test services at wafer level for new types of photonic integrated circuits to customers from the semiconductor industry. Jenoptik provides the necessary technology platform with the UFO Probe® Card and thus supports RoodMicrotec in setting up the respective test structure.
• An AIOLOS Wafer Level Test Handler from AEM’s Afore Wafer Level Test Solutions has been installed at the RoodMicrotec facility in Nördlingen. With this handler, RoodMicrotec is now able to offer its customers additional capabilities in the fast-growing markets of sensor testing. This system is also set up for 200 mm wafer frame probing of a wide range of semiconductor devices. RoodMicrotec will not only extend its business areas, but also its testing capabilities.
• During 2021 the booked SCM projects have continued to progress towards production through test program development as well as qualification work. Some of the projects are now close to ramp-up and we start to see the first volumes for these customers. The SCM team is continuing to prepare for future projects with pre-development of certain functions that will be used in future products.
• A consortium of 31 key players for packaging of electronics, optics and photonics, leading equipment suppliers and testing experts from 11 countries are involved in APPLAUSE, “Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low cost manufacturing in Europe,”. The project fosters the European semiconductor value chain by building new tools, methods and processes for high volume manufacturing where RoodMicrotec will be able to benefit with new solutions in these areas.
• The refinancing of the bond loan issued in 2014 has been completed by the end of the first quarter 2021. A group of long-time investors provides the refinancing in the amount of EUR 2.6 million. Also the management participates so show their confidence in the Company’s business plans and future projects.
• The Court of Appeal has given a verdict in the legal proceedings concerning the dispute about (non) fulfillment of contractual obligations of a debtor. The Court of Appeal ratified the verdicts of the Subdistrict Court of Zwolle and sentenced the debtor to bear the costs of appeal.
• Prime Capital Debt SCS, SICAV-FIS – Robus Recovery Sub-Fund ("Robus") initiated legal proceedings before the Regional Court of Hamburg (Landgericht Hamburg) against RoodMicrotec GmbH regarding the perpetual bond (Genussscheine) of EUR 500k that RoodMicrotec GmbH issued in 2012.

Events after balance sheet date
• In February 2022 Robus and RoodMicrotec GmbH agreed on a full and final settlement of the 2012 perpetual bond. This final settlement has been reached before and confirmed by the Regional Court of Hamburg.
• Robus initiated legal proceedings before the Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main (Landgericht Frankfurt am Main) against RoodMicrotec GmbH regarding the perpetual bond (Genussscheine) of EUR 1,994k that RoodMicrotec GmbH issued in 2010. RoodMicrotec GmbH contests all allegations and claims, and denies that any compensation payments are due on the perpetual bond or that any grounds for extraordinary termination of the perpetual bond exist. Accordingly, RoodMicrotec GmbH will ask the court to reject Robus' claim.

Key figures
(x EUR 1,000) 2021 2020
Results
Total income 14,532 11,874
EBITDA 2,786 1,345
EBIT (operating result) 1,227 -199
EBT 1,038 -369
Net cash flow from operating activities 2,049 1,517
Net result 1,435 -265

Capital, Debt & Liquidity Ratios
Total assets 14,995 14,337
Group equity 5,583 3,844
Net debt 374 1,870
Invested capital (net debt + equity) 5,957 5,714
Gearing ratio (net debt/ capital) 6% 33%
Solvency (group equity / total liabilities) 37% 27%
Debt ratio (net debt / EBITDA) 0.1 1.4
Net working capital 317 -55
Working capital ratio (net working capital / total income) 2.2% -0.5%
ROCE (EBIT / average invested capital) 21.0% -3.3%

Assets
Tangible and intangible fixed assets 8,295 9,177
Investments in (in)tangible fixed assets 681 866
Depreciation of (in)tangible fixed assets 1,559 1,544

Data per share (x EUR 1)
Group equity 0.074 0.051
Operating results 0.016 -0.003
Net cash flow from operating activities 0.027 0.020
Net result 0.019 -0.004
Share price: at year-end 0.201 0.183
Share price: highest 0.267 0.267
Share price: lowest 0.176 0.107

Other information
Number of issued shares at year end (x 1,000) 75,076 74,896
Average number of employees (FTE) 89 86
Total income / Average FTE 163 138

Sales and result
In 2021, RoodMicrotec’s total income came in 22% higher than in 2020 at EUR 14.5 million (2020: EUR 11.9 million), with 94% of its total sales in the European countries.

In the first half of 2021, wafers were ordered and received for one of our SCM customers to manage the supply chain during a planned change of an assembly house. About EUR 0.5 million has been realized for these wafers as total income and approximately the same amount has been accounted for in the cost for raw materials and consumables. The parts will be delivered during 2022, where only part of the selling price will be recognized in the total income but with a positive impact on the net result.

Total income from the automotive sector increased in 2021 by 37% to EUR 6.9 million (2020: EUR 5.0 million) and represents 48% of the total income. The total income in the industrial / medical sector increased in 2021 by 15% to EUR 6.3 million (2020: EUR 5.5 million) and represents 43% of the total income. The HiRel / aerospace sector increased by 2% to EUR 0.9 million (2020: EUR 0.9 million). The total income in this sector mainly consists of failure analysis and qualification work and this is very much depending on the design cycles at our customers. Total income in other sectors declined by 8% to EUR 0.5 million (2020: EUR 0.5 million).

Total income by market sector:
(x EUR 1,000) 2021 2020 change

Automotive 6,886 5,021 37.1%
Industrial/Healthcare 6,270 5,454 15.0%
HiRel / Aerospace 926 908 2.0%
Others 450 491 -8.4%
Total 14,532 11,874 22.4%

In 2021 the total income in the Supply Chain Management unit increased by 27% to EUR 3.4 million (2020: EUR 2.7 million). The total income in the Test Operations unit increased by 46% to EUR 7.9 million (2020: EUR 5.4 million). The total income in the Qualification & Failure Analysis unit came in 15% lower, at EUR 3.2 million (2020: EUR 3.8 million).

Total income results per operational unit:
(x EUR 1,000) 2021 2020 change

Supply Chain Management 3,364 2,659 26.5%
Test Operations 7,938 5,429 46.2%
Qualification & Failure Analysis 3,230 3,786 -14.7%
Total 14,532 11,874 22.4%

Personnel and organization
During 2021, RoodMicrotec continued to optimize the organization to keep track with the changing demands from the customers and markets. Furthermore, we recruit highly experienced personnel to be able to support our plans for the future. The average number of full time employees (FTE) was 89 in 2021. Total income per average full-time employee increased to EUR 163,000 from EUR 138,000 in 2020. Our policy is to strive for growth of sales per FTE.

Until May 2021 we used short-time working in our company in order to be able to react to the international effects of COVID-19. After that date the demand from our customers was high and stable and we therefore decided to discontinue the short-time work. Short-time work had an effect on the average full-time employees of minus 4 FTEs. It was and is absolutely crucial for us not to have to lay off any employees, so we were very happy to be able to use the short-time working option. In some positions, our employees have also decided to voluntarily work more from home in order to reduce the number of colleagues present in our facilities.

We have not experienced any interruptions in the business operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures taken with masks, distance between the working places, home offices and general care, have enabled us to offer a safe environment for our employees and we have had very few incidents in the company during 2021.

Outlook
RoodMicrotec expects the total income in 2022 to be in the range of EUR 15.0 million to EUR 15.6 million with a positive result before tax. The current situation in the world regarding lead-times for wafers and packaging as well as shipment delays may impact the ability to achieve the expected total income. The war in Ukraine could also have an impact on the business but in the short term we don’t see any significant impacts. RoodMicrotec is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any impact.

Conference call
You are invited to take part in RoodMicrotec’s conference call for shareholders, financial press and analysts on
Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 9:30 CEST.
The management will present the Annual Report 2021 in detail and answer your questions.
The dial-in number for the call is: +31 (0)20 531 5863 (via operator)

Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company will be held by webcast (virtual meeting) on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 15:00 CEST. The Board of Management and Supervisory Board have decided to organize the AGM in such manner, that it can only be attended by registered shareholders through a webcast. Shareholders do not have the option to attend the AGM in person, as the Meeting will only be held remotely via a digital platform (virtual meeting).

The convening notice (including registration and voting instructions) and the agenda with explanatory notes, as well as all other meeting documents for the AGM will be available from Thursday April 28, 2022 onwards on our corporate website: www.roodmicrotec.com/en/investor-relations-en/annual-general-meeting.
 
Financial calendar
April 28, 2022 Publication of invitation and agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
June 9, 2022 Annual General Meeting of shareholders
July 21, 2022 Publication Interim Report 2022
July 21, 2022 Conference call for shareholders, press and analysts
October 13, 2022 Trading update quarter 3-2022

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and prognoses of the Board of Management and on the information currently available to the Company. The statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which are hard to evaluate, such as the general economic conditions, interest rates, exchange rates and amendments to statutory laws and regulations. The Board of Management of RoodMicrotec cannot guarantee that its expectations will materialize. Furthermore, RoodMicrotec does not accept any obligation to update the statements made in this press release.

About RoodMicrotec
RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is well-established as a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide. The Company provides full-turnkey ASIC services for complex microchips that are customized to handle specific applications for individual customers. In cooperation with strong partners, RoodMicrotec manages the entire development and production flow of ASICs in the target volume, ranging from low quantities up to multiple millions per year. The turnkey solution includes project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis and logistics. All services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and industrial sectors. RoodMicrotec’s headquarter is located in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.
For more information visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

Further information
Martin Sallenhag - CEO, Arvid Ladega - CFO
Telephone: +31 570 745623 Email: [email protected] Web: www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is published in English only.

• Read more about RoodMicrotec N.V. publishes 2021 annual report with audited financial statements

Nijmegen, the Netherlands, April 12, 2022

Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Electronics & Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC) in Torbay, UK. The move offers an exciting opportunity for both organizations to collaborate and benefit from the synergies that exist between the two centers.

EPIC is located within a rich cluster of microelectronics and photonics packaging specialists. The center offers businesses access to labs, offices, >€3M of prototyping capability and a classified cleanroom. Dutch-owned EFFECT Photonics have chosen EPIC as their R&D facility and have benefited from extensive local funding to support this growth. Other businesses located within EPIC include Spanish MEMS innovators Nanusens and photonics packaging specialists Bay Photonics.

CITC is a non-profit innovation center specializing in heterogeneous integration and advanced chip packaging technology for semiconductor and photonic applications. It is a place where companies, research and educational institutes work together on bridging the gap between academics and industry and creating a new generation of packages providing smart, safe and rugged housing for chips.

The MoU will see both parties sharing information with their respective businesses to showcase the technical capability and services on offer at both centers. EPIC and CITC will also be exploring opportunities to add each other’s centers to future funding bids with a view of generating additional revenue for both projects.

Both centers have close links to relevant universities and higher education partners therefore encouraging collaboration between academia will also be explored.

EPIC Centre Director, Wayne Loschi, is excited about the partnership: “There are so many clear opportunities for collaboration which will benefit our respective centers and our businesses. We’d love to see our companies working closer with CITC to improve innovation and equally we’d welcome more Dutch companies to join EFFECT Photonics within EPIC”.

CITC Business Development Manager, Marco Koelink, is also looking forward to starting the relationship: “EPIC offers a rich ecosystem in microelectronic and photonic R&D and assembly activities. Collaboration, especially in photonic packaging is crucial to develop high-volume and low-cost solutions for meaningful application areas such as communications, medical and automotive. CITC and EPIC jointly strengthen their value proposition in providing access to innovation, infrastructure and education”.

• Read more about CITC formalizes collaboration with EPIC UK

• Total income for the first quarter of 2022 was EUR 3.6 million (first quarter 2021: EUR 3.8 million)
• Cash position further improved in the first quarter of 2022
• Order book value increased with 16% compared to March 31, 2021

Deventer, April 12, 2022 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today releases its trading update for the first quarter of 2022. The total income for the quarter was EUR 3.6 million, which is 5% lower than the total income in the first quarter of 2021. In the first quarter of 2021, the total income included work in progress of EUR 0.5 million for SCM project preparations. With this adjustment, the total income for the first quarter of 2022 rose by 9% compared to the first quarter of 2021.
“The cash position at the end of the first quarter of 2022 has further improved compared to the end of 2021 thanks to the increased total income and a continued tight control of operational expenses”, says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “The increase of the total income in the first quarter, adjusted for work in progress movements, compared to 2021 also shows that the company is focusing on the right markets, customers and services.”
With the forecasted increase of total income in 2022 over last year, it is encouraging to see that the order book value continues to increase. The order book contains orders for both long term contracts and engagements as well as short term orders. The long term contracts and engagements are mainly in the SCM and Test Operations units and the short term orders are mainly in the Failure Analysis & Qualification unit. RoodMicrotec is maintaining a very tight control of all expenses, and only absolutely necessary costs for delivering our high-quality services to the customers are approved. Additional capital investments are also reviewed in detail to make sure they are done to either increase capacity or to add new capabilities to the service portfolio.

Outlook
RoodMicrotec expects the total income in 2022 to be in the range of EUR 15.0 million to EUR 15.6 million with a positive result before tax. The current situation in the world regarding lead-times for wafers and packaging as well as shipment delays may impact the ability to achieve the expected total income. The war in Ukraine could also have an impact on the business but in the short term we don’t see any significant impacts. RoodMicrotec is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any impact.

Audit
The financial data in this press release have not been audited.
 
About RoodMicrotec
RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is well-established as a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide. The Company provides full-turnkey ASIC services for complex microchips that are customized to handle specific applications for individual customers. In cooperation with strong partners, RoodMicrotec manages the entire development and production flow of ASICs in the target volume, ranging from low quantities up to multiple millions per year. The turnkey solution includes project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis and logistics. All services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and industrial sectors. RoodMicrotec’s headquarters are located in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany
For more information visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

Further information
Martin Sallenhag - CEO, Arvid Ladega – CFO
Telephone: +31 570 745623 Email: [email protected] Web: www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is published in English and German. In case of conflict between these versions the English version shall prevail.
This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The company’s managing director and CEO Martin Sallenhag, is responsible for arranging the release of this document on behalf of RoodMicrotec.

• Read more about Trading Update: RoodMicrotec announces total income for the first quarter of 2022

Deventer, April 8, 2022 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today announces that the trading update for the first quarter of 2022 will be published on April 12, 2022.

Financial calendar
April 12, 2022 Trading update quarter 1-2022
April 21, 2022 Publication Annual Report 2021
April 21, 2022 Conference call for press and analysts
April 28, 2022 Publication of invitation and agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
June 9, 2022 Annual General Meeting of shareholders
July 21, 2022 Publication Interim Report 2022
July 21, 2022 Conference call for press and analysts
October 13, 2022 Trading update quarter 3-2022

About RoodMicrotec
RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is well-established as a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide. The Company provides full-turnkey ASIC services for complex microchips that are customized to handle specific applications for individual customers. In cooperation with strong partners, RoodMicrotec manages the entire development and production flow of ASICs in the target volume, ranging from low quantities up to multiple millions per year. The turnkey solution includes project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis and logistics. All services comply with the industrial and quality requirements of the high reliability, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and industrial sectors. RoodMicrotec’s headquarters are located in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.

For more information visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

Further information
Martin Sallenhag - CEO, Arvid Ladega - CFO
Telephone: +31 570 745623 Email: [email protected] Web: www.roodmicrotec.com

This press release is only published in English. This communication contains information that qualifies as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The company’s managing director and CEO Martin Sallenhag, is responsible for arranging the release of this document on behalf of RoodMicrotec.

• Read more about Trading update for first quarter of 2022 will be published on April 12, 2022

ESPOO, Finland, 5th of April 2022 – Picosun Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has played a vital role in enhancing electro-optical characteristics of micro-LEDs in research done by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Taiwan.

The usage of dielectric films as a passivation material is a popular technique to suppress dangling bonds as well as to improve output power and external quantum efficiency in LEDs. The study conducted at NYCU compared III-Nitride micro-LEDs of different sizes with and without ALD Al2O3 passivation. The results showed external quantum efficiency enhancement of 70% for 5 µm × 5 µm micro-LEDs and 60% for 10 µm ×10 µm micro-LEDs when using ALD Al2O3 passivation.

In addition, to achieve full color display, an inkjet printing to pattern quantum dots automatically has been developed at NYCU. The solution can considerably improve the precision of color pixels and satisfy the high-resolution requirements. Picosun ALD passivation technology was successfully used for preventing the quantum dots from photo-oxidation and degradation. After a 500 hours environmental reliability test, the color gamut remained at excellent level.*

“Micro-LED technology has been the disruptive technology in the next generation displays, and more application areas are emerging its benefits being long lifetime, high power efficiency and high brightness. With quantum dot-based technology micro-LEDs can be used in applications such as virtual and mixed reality as they allow the use of single-color, blue, micro-LED chips resulting in lower manufacturing costs. Our study has proved that ALD passivation plays a key role in upcoming nanometer-scale devices”, says Hao-Chung Kuo, professor at NYCU.

“Picosun’s ALD technology has been production-proven at many prominent LED manufacturers. ALD films’ superior conformality and uniformity, and their ability to ensure reliable, pinhole-free encapsulation even at extremely low film thicknesses is a key benefit. Furthermore, the ALD process can be run at moderate temperatures”, explains Juhana Kostamo, VP, Industrial Business Area of Picosun Group.

*NTSC and Rec. 2020 standards: Color gamut 99% and 90% at 50% humidity and 50℃ temperature
NTSC: Analog television format encoding system developed by National Television Standards Committee
Rec. 2020: International Telecommunication Union Recommended standard defining various aspects of ultra-high-definition television with standard dynamic range and wide color gamut.

More information:
Juhana Kostamo
Vice President, Industrial Business Area, Picosun Group
Tel: +358 50 369 9565
Email: [email protected]
www.picosun.com

About Picosun
Picosun provides the most advanced 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 Picosun ALD enhances micro-LED efficiency

Heidelberg, Germany – Heidelberg Instruments has received a significant order from a leading semiconductor wafer-level packaging production company in Asia for its MLA 300 Maskless Aligner. With this order, Heidelberg Instruments has reached another important milestone towards the company’s goal of becoming a leading supplier of maskless lithography tools to the advanced wafer-level packaging industry.

Optimized for industrial manufacturing, the MLA 300 Maskless Aligner features distinct benefits for the wafer-level technology: The flexibility of maskless lithography allows rapid design customizations, and even unique designs on each substrate. This is of particular use for chip packaging where mounted die shift and each panel is unique. Meeting these demands, the MLA 300 can be seamlessly integrated into wafer-level packaging production lines, fully automating wafer production with a resolution down to 2 µm lines and spaces. The MLA 300 reduces production costs and efforts by eliminating mask procurement, verification, and management requirements. Operating costs are reduced by utilizing a long-lifetime exposure laser and fewer consumables. Modularity enables fast maintenance, replacement, or repair. Real-time autofocus compensates substrate warp or corrugations for flawless patterning.

Since its market introduction at the end of 2019, the MLA 300 has received a terrific reception and has become a popular tool for the microfabrication industry. The MLA 300 comprises a customizable wafer handling system, customizable vacuum chucks, and a large autofocus compensation help account for challenges like warped substrates, and software designed for production environments.

“This latest order, by a leading advanced wafer packaging production group, is a big step forward for us and maskless lithography. With the MLA 300, Heidelberg Instruments has introduced the most innovative maskless lithography system for mid-volume wafer production and high-volume prototyping. So far, several fabrication groups globally have purchased and installed the MLA 300 tool, replacing their traditional lithography production platforms, such as mask aligners and steppers,” says Alexander Forozan, Head of Global Sales and Business Development, Heidelberg Instruments group of companies.

MLA300 is a versatile tool for application areas such as advanced semiconductor packaging, IR sensors, MEMS, electronic probes, and high precision electronic components.

Contact:
Veronika Loose
Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
+49 931 90879288

Further information:
https://heidelberg-instruments.com/

About Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH
With over 35 years of experience and more than 1,200 installed systems, Heidelberg Instruments is one of the leading international players in developing and producing high-precision photolithography systems and nanofabrication tools. Heidelberg Instruments systems are installed in industrial and scientific facilities around the world. They are used for efficient direct writing and photomask fabrication for various industries, including semiconductors, quantum computing, photonics, 2D materials, IoT, and many related fields.

• Read more about Heidelberg Instruments receives an order from an advanced wafer-level packaging provider in Asia

Rochester, NY—Linton Crystal Technologies (LCT) has been awarded a U.S. Letters Patent for its Seed Lifting and Rotating System for Use in Crystal Growth. Patent 11,255,024 is the first of four applications Linton has made to the USPTO for innovations related to the seed lifting and rotating mechanism, and the company’s first approved patent.

“This patent is the first of four applications that address the increasingly critical need to counteract centrifugal forces created by the rotating mass of the seed lift as the cable spool translates along its axis of travel. As growers become larger, the need for this technology becomes even more essential” explains John Reese, mechanical engineering manager with Linton Crystal Technologies.

Typically, silicon crystal growing furnaces use a cable winch system to lift and rotate a growing crystal. Most traditional seed lift mechanisms have a grooved spool that wraps and gathers the seed cable, lifting the crystal. The spool must translate side to side to keep the gathering cable centered to a pulley, which in turn is centered on the growth chambers. Most often, the spool moves this way via an attached thread that engages to a nut. As the bolt turns into the nut in its fixed position, the head of the bolt becomes closer to the nut. In the case of a seed lift spool, the length of the screw depends on the length of translation that is necessary to wind and/or unwind the cable enough to grow the crystal to a desired length. Thus, the length of the screw increases the overall length of the cable winch system. This adds size and weight to the overall system.

As the spools shifts/translates from one end of its travel to the other, the shifting mass of the spool dramatically and negatively influences the dynamic balance of the rotating seed lift assembly, thus creating centrifugal forces that have a negative impact on the stability of the overall growth process.

Linton’s patented new “guided spool” design utilizes a floating roller that engages with the grooved spool, therefore eliminating the need for the extra threaded feature and fixed position nut. This reduces the overall weight of the mechanism, making for a more stable rotating mass. Current units that don’t have this feature require additional fixed and active weight to balance them.

About Linton
Linton is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of equipment for producing monocrystalline ingots for the solar and semiconductor industries. The company specializes in silicon and produces equipment for materials such as germanium and gallium arsenide. They also provide technical support, process engineering support and replacement parts to help clients get businesses off the ground, improve productivity and continue to innovate. Linton has been the exclusive owner of Kayex technology for eight years.

For more information, visit www.lintoncrystal.com.

# # #

• Read more about Linton Crystal Technologies Awarded Seed Lift and Rotating System Patent

ESPOO, Finland, 22nd of March 2022 – Picosun Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) has been demonstrated to be a suitable solution for protection of surfaces exposed to atomic oxygen degradation in Low Earth Orbit. High material survivability is a requirement for objects sent to space as they are faced with a number of degrading circumstances, such as exposure to atomic oxygen.

Researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) have tested and analysed various material samples provided by Picosun to verify the protective coatings’ suitability for protection against atomic oxygen. This testing was performed in the ESTEC TEC-QEE Laboratory LEOX facility as part of an “open lab” test campaign. These campaigns are intended to provide access to ESA’s unique space environmental test facilities and allow collaboration with ESA’s research fellows, especially for SMEs and institutes new to the space business.

The test simulates the corroding effect of atomic oxygen, for which satellites, including the International Space Station (ISS), are exposed to. The results of the tests, performed on Kapton® HN polyimide film, silicon pieces and PCBs (Printed Circuitry Boards) protected with Picosun ALD coating clearly demonstrated the erosion protection provided by the ALD coating. The demonstrated low temperature (125 °C) film was relatively thin (20 nm) enabling coating of different relevant materials. Decreased thickness of ALD coating is known to withstand more deformation required for flexible materials than thick layers. Also, ALD coating can be applied to a 3D surface with extreme aspect ratios. The analysis performed by ESTEC consisted of mass measurement, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) inspection and thermo-optical properties measurement, partially, before and after the test.

“Atomic oxygen erosion has a major impact on the choice of external materials available for spacecrafts and satellites operating in Low Earth Orbit. Picosun ALD showed atomic oxygen resistance in the tests and forms a suitable protective coating for extreme environmental conditions, applicable also for flexible materials”, explains Adrian Tighe, Senior Materials Engineer in the Materials’ Physics and Chemistry Section at ESA.

“ALD is an advanced thin film coating method for ultra-thin, highly uniform and conformal material layers. It has proved to be the coating solution of choice already in production in solutions and innovations operating in extreme environments. Today, they can be found everywhere from deep seabed to Mars”, says Juhana Kostamo, VP, Industrial Business Area of Picosun Group.

More information:
Juhana Kostamo
Vice President, Industrial Business Area, Picosun Group
Tel: +358 50 369 9565
Email: [email protected]
www.picosun.com

About Picosun
Picosun provides the most advanced 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 Picosun ALD demonstrates effective surface protection for materials in space conditions in ESA's tests.

BENEQ, PRESS RELEASE, March 10, 2022, 14.00 EEST

Beneq, the home of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), has introduced BeneqCare, a new modular solution to offer support and maintenance services to organizations that own and operate Beneq ALD equipment.

Beneq leads the market with ALD products for R&D, semiconductor device fabrication, 3D and batch production, ultra-fast spatial ALD (C2R), and roll-to-roll ALD. Today, the company has launched BeneqCare to help customers in the EU, Asia and the USA maximize the value of their ALD tools throughout their equipment’s life cycles.

“We have been investing heavily in widening our service capabilities worldwide. Now, we offer service coverage in all regions. We have also established spare part hubs in every region at Beneq offices,” says Hans Fabritius, Vice President, Life Cycle Services at Beneq.

“BeneqCare simplifies ALD equipment ownership by helping our customers maximize uptime and gain access to the right support at every stage of their tool’s life cycle. We are ready to assist our customers in meeting their productivity requirements –from training personnel in using the equipment to meeting any unscheduled maintenance or spare parts needs,” asserts Fabritius.

BeneqCare provides Beneq customers who operate in the industrial and research sectors with a wide range of service modules to suit their operations, from extended warranty and training services to remote or onsite support.

“Our customers have high expectations for the performance of their Beneq ALD tools. BeneqCare brings them versatile support and service plans that grow with their businesses,” says Fabritius.

Companies and research facilities that have commissioned Beneq ALD equipment can avail of a variety of BeneqCare service modules to suit their unique requirements. Among the BeneqCare modules are technical support services, including remote support via Augmented Reality (AR); spare part services; extended warranties; preventive as well as unscheduled maintenance services; and training.

Learn more about BeneqCare: www.beneq.com/beneqcare/

Further information
Lie Luo, Head of Marketing, [email protected]

About Beneq
Beneq is the home of atomic layer deposition. In 1984, we established the world’s first industrial production using ALD. Today, we lead the market with products for R&D (TFS 200, TFS 500, R2), semiconductor device fabrication (Transform®), 3D and batch production (P400A, P800, P1500), ultra-fast spatial ALD (C2R), and roll-to-roll ALD (Genesis).

Beneq’s unique Development Service simplifies customer adoption and proof-of-concept for new ALD processes, while our Coating Service cuts down time to market by outsourcing state of the art ALD production. Our team of engineers and experts is dedicated to making ALD tools accessible for researchers.

• Read more about Beneq fulfills customer demand for tailored ALD equipment services and support with BeneqCare (TM)