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

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.

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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

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

ESPOO, Finland, 13th of April 2021 – Picosun Group has proved to significantly increase the production efficiency of its LED and OLED customers with the PICOSUN® P-300BV ALD system. Recent tests show that a reduced ALD process cycle time and an increased number of wafers deposited with the same film thickness resulted in almost 100% better throughput. A throughput of over 20 000 wafers per month can be reached with a wafer batch of 100 wafers*. At the same time, the process quality in terms of film thickness uniformity has remained on an excellent level (20000 WPM, 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:
Juhana Kostamo¬
Vice President, Industrial Business Area, Picosun Group
Tel: +358 50 369 9565
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.picosun.com

• Read more about Picosun increases efficiency for LED and OLED production

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

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