RoodMicrotec shows strong financial performance for the year 2022.
• Total income of EUR 16.5 million with an EBITDA of EUR 3.9 million
• Net profit of EUR 2.4 million
• Cash flow from operating activities of EUR 3.6 million

Deventer, April 20, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today publishes the Company’s Annual Report for the financial year 2022 including the audited consolidated and company financial statements. The 2022 Annual Report is available for download on the corporate website: www.roodmicrotec.com/en/investor-relations-en/financial-publications.

The total income for 2022 amounted to EUR 16.5 million, which is 14% higher than in 2021 (EUR 14.5 million) resulting in a second consecutive year with double-digit growth. Notably, this is the highest total income since 2000, and it shows that RoodMicrotec is focusing on the right fast-growing future-oriented markets.

“Once again, we managed to exceed the outlook and deliver a higher total income as well as a higher profit. In the first and second quarter of 2022, we generated a total income that was similar to the fourth quarter of 2021, which was a very good start of the year,” says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “In the third and fourth quarter of 2022, we saw a steady increase in total income making the full year the best in over 20 years. The profit before tax for the year as well as the overall liquidity put us in a good position for future investments in machinery and services. This allows us to focus on growing the business with new customer engagements.”

Throughout the year, the Test Operations department continued to deliver outstanding results. The total income increased from EUR 7.9 million in 2021 to EUR 10.0 million in 2022, which is a growth of 26%. Our long term customers are increasing their demand and we are able to support them with additional capacity. In 2022, we have added both manpower and new machines to support the expanding business.

The Supply Chain Management unit is growing thanks to long-term projects. The total income increased from EUR 3.4 million in 2021 to EUR 3.5 million in 2022, a growth of 5% year-over-year. This is also driving turnover in the other units, especially in the Test Operations department.

In the Qualification & Failure Analysis department we have seen a big increase in request for counterfeit analysis. Due to the shortage of components, it is becoming more important to analyze the used components before going into mass production. RoodMicrotec is the first and only company in Germany to offer the counterfeit electronic parts standard SAE AS6081 as an accredited method according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS / MAIN DEVELOPMENTS

Financials
• Total income: EUR 16.5 million (2021: EUR 14.5 million).
• EBITDA: EUR 3.9 million (2021: EUR 2.8 million).
• Balance sheet total: EUR 17.2 million (2021: EUR 15.0 million).
• Net result: EUR 2.4 million profit (2021: EUR 1.4 million profit).
• Net cash flow from operating activities: EUR 3.6 million (2021: EUR 2.0 million).

Commercial/operational
• RoodMicrotec has continued to expand its services in the areas defined in the Company’s technology roadmap. High frequency test solutions are being developed for our demanding customers based on this new technology and their demand for production test.
• The first projects to qualify high power electronics according AQG 324 have been started in the Qualification & Failure Analysis department. These new services have been added to handle high power devices aimed for battery management and control.
• RoodMicrotec and Rohde & Schwarz have been working together for over 10 years and in this period RoodMicrotec has carried out the test development for various high frequency ASICs used by Rohde & Schwarz in their products. RoodMicrotec performs wafer and component level tests as well as qualifications prior to product launch. For the coming years, further projects of this kind are already scheduled.
• The world leader in UWB (Ultra-Wideband) sensing solutions, Novelda, and RoodMicrotec have reached an agreement on qualification, test, and supply of a new generation of UWB devices. The Ultra-Wideband Sensor can detect the tiniest movements, even breathing and heartbeat. The cooperation with RoodMicrotec as European partner enables Novelda to manage faster qualification and industrialization of new products. Effective collaboration, both on engineering and management level, and combining each partner’s expertise is allowing ‘first time right’ development of test solutions, qualification processes, and the rapid launch of production testing and supply.
• The order book is at a higher level than in the beginning of the year, even though the total income was higher than budgeted. This means that the book-to-bill ratio was above 1 for the year.
• During 2022, we have continued to progress the booked SCM projects towards production through test program development as well as qualification work. Some projects have been released for production and we start to see the first volumes for these customers. The turn-key project for a Swiss customer, which includes the design of an ASIC by a design house partner, packaging of the device in Asia, qualification, and in-house test development, is progressing well. The volume production for this device will be launched early in 2023 in the RoodMicrotec facility in Nördlingen.
• The nationally and internationally funded APPLAUSE project “Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low cost manufacturing in Europe,” fosters the European semiconductor value chain by building new tools, methods and processes for high volume manufacturing. RoodMicrotec has taken over the leadership of the work package “testing, reliability, failure analysis and metrology”. The project has delivered exceptional results with significant immediate or potential impact. The progress over the last period was convincing.
• As a full and final settlement of the 2012 perpetual bond, RoodMicrotec GmbH has paid Robus a total settlement amount of EUR 400k nominal, i.e. without any interest, in two equal nominal installments of EUR 200k on February 28, 2022 and June 30, 2022. This final settlement has been reached before and confirmed by the Regional Court of Hamburg in February 2022.
 
Events after balance sheet date
• RoodMicrotec GmbH has entered into an agreement for a full and final settlement with Prime Capital Debt SCS, SICAV-FIS – Robus Recovery Sub-Fund (“Robus”) regarding the perpetual bond that RoodMicrotec GmbH issued in 2010 and which is held by Robus.

Following an oral hearing held on March 7, 2023, both parties have reached agreement on a full and final settlement that was reached before and confirmed by the Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main. Pursuant to the settlement, RoodMicrotec GmbH shall pay a total amount of EUR 2,194k (110% of the nominal value of the perpetual bond issued in 2010), in four equal installments of EUR 548k, by March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31, 2023.
 
Key figures
(x EUR 1,000 unless stated otherwise) 2022 2021

Results & Cash
Total income 16,548 14,532
EBITDA 3,898 2,786
EBITDA as % of total income 23.6% 19.2%
EBIT (operating result) 2,451 1,227
EBIT as % of total income 14.8% 8.4%
Profit (loss) before tax 2,271 1,038
PBT as % of total income 13.7% 7.1%
Net result 2,380 1,435
Net cash position (year-end) 3,682 2,558
Net cash flow from operating activities 3,553 2,049

Capital, Debt & Liquidity Ratios (at year-end)
Total assets 17,197 15,014
Equity 7,850 5,583
Net debt -805 374
Invested capital (net debt + equity) 7,045 5,957
Gearing ratio (net debt / invested capital) -11% 6%
Solvency (equity / total assets) 46% 37%
Debt ratio (net debt / EBITDA) -0.2 0.1
Net working capital (working capital - net cash position) 211 317
Net working capital ratio (net working capital / total income) 1.3% 2.2%
ROCE (EBIT / average invested capital) 37.7% 21.0%

Assets (at year-end)
Tangible and intangible fixed assets 8,765 8,295
Investments in (in)tangible fixed assets 1,743 681
Depreciation of (in)tangible fixed assets 1,447 1,559

Data per share (x EUR 1)
Equity 0.105 0.074
Operating result 0.033 0.016
Net cash flow from operating activities 0.047 0.027
Net result 0.032 0.019
Share price: year end 0.205 0.201
Share price: highest in the year 0.215 0.267
Share price: lowest in the year 0.171 0.176

Other information
Number of issued shares at year end (in millions of shares) 75.1 75.1
Average number of employees (FTE) 94 89
Total income / average FTE 176 163
Market capitalization (in EUR millions) 15.4 15.1

 
Total income and result
In 2022, RoodMicrotec’s total income of EUR 16.5 million was 14% higher than in 2021 (2021: EUR 14.5 million), with 92% of its total sales effected in the European countries.
Total income from the Automotive sector increased by 18% to EUR 8.1 million in 2022 (2021: EUR 6.9 million) and represents 49% of the total income. Total income in the Industrial / Medical sector increased by 7% to EUR 6.7 million in 2022 (2021: EUR 6.3 million) and represents 40% of the total income. The HiRel / Aerospace segment declined by 8% to EUR 0.8 million (2021: EUR 0.9 million) and with 5% only represents a small percentage of the total income. The income in this sector mainly consists of failure analysis and qualification work and this is very much depending on our customers’ design cycles. Total income in other sectors increased by 105% to EUR 0.9 million (2021: EUR 0.5 million).
Total income by market sector:
(x EUR 1,000) 2022 2021 change

Automotive 8,094 6,886 17.5%
Industrial / Medical 6,683 6,270 6.6%
HiRel / Aerospace 849 926 -8.3%
Others 922 450 104.9%

Total 16,548 14,532 13.9%

Throughout 2022, the Test Operations unit showed a strong increase, which was related to the superior services and the excellent position RoodMicrotec has with its existing and new customers. The Supply Chain Management unit showed a limited increase compared to last year. The sharp increase in the second half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2022 was due to a higher demand for existing products as well as the production ramp-up in the context of new long-term contracts. In 2022, the Qualification & Failure Analysis unit saw a decrease compared to 2021. However, the total income for the second half of 2022 was 9% higher than for the first half of 2022, which shows that new customer projects are now starting.
Total income results per operational unit:
(x EUR 1,000) 2022 2021 change

Supply Chain Management 3,533 3,364 5.0%
Test Operations 10,035 7,938 26.4%
Qualification & Failure Analysis 2,980 3,230 -7.7%

Total 16,548 14,532 13.9%

Operating result
The Company recorded an operating result for 2022 of EUR 2.5 million compared to EUR 1.2 million in 2021, and thus an increase of 99.8%. The increase in total income only led to a modest rise of expenses for raw materials and consumables (in 2021, expenditures for raw materials and consumables were exceptionally high due to a high level of wafer deliveries). Combined with a lower increase in operating expenses than in total income, this led to an increase in the operating margin from 8.4% in 2021 to 14.8% in 2022.

Net result
The Company recorded a net result of EUR 2.4 million profit for 2022, which is an increase of 65.9% compared to 2021. 

Personnel and organization
During 2022, RoodMicrotec continued to optimize the organization to keep track with the changing demands from customers and markets. Furthermore, highly experienced personnel has been recruited for support of the Company’s future plans. The average number of full time employees (FTE) in 2022 was 94. Total income per average full-time employee increased to EUR 176,000 from EUR 163,000 in 2021. RoodMicrotec’s policy is to strive for growth of sales per FTE.
Looking back, RoodMicrotec got through the COVID-19 period very well and without any material impact on staffing levels. The measures taken with facial masks, distance between the working places, home offices, and general care, offered a safe environment for all employees.

Outlook
RoodMicrotec expects the total income for 2023 to be in the range of EUR 17.0 million to EUR 17.5 million, with a profit before tax of 5-10% and thus in line with the financial targets. The geopolitical situation in the world and the current energy crisis throughout Europe could have an impact on the Company’s business. The Management is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any potentially negative impact.

Conference call
You are invited to take part in RoodMicrotec’s conference call for shareholders, financial press, and analysts via Microsoft TEAMS on
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:30 CEST.
The Board of Management, Martin Sallenhag and Arvid Ladega, will comment on the Annual Report 2022 in detail and will answer your questions.
To join the event please follow these login instructions:
Join with your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only)
+49 69 509544247 Germany, Frankfurt am Main
+31 20 399 9804 The Netherlands, Amsterdam
+32 2 895 09 68 Belgium, Bruxelles
+41 43 217 23 02 Switzerland, Zurich

Find a local number – in case you are in another country
Phone Conference ID: 124 673 558#
Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 15:00 CEST at the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (EURONEXT), Beursplein 5, 1012 JW Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The convening notice (including registration and voting instructions) and the agenda with explanatory notes, as well as all other meeting documents for the AGM, including the 2022 Annual Report and the 2023 Remuneration Policy are available for download on our corporate website:
www.roodmicrotec.com/en/investor-relations-en/annual-general-meeting.
 
Financial calendar
June 6, 2023 Annual general meeting of shareholders
July 20, 2023 Publication interim report 2023
July 20, 2023 Conference call for media, analysts and shareholders
October 19, 2023 Trading update quarter 3-2023

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

• Read more about RoodMicrotec N.V. publishes 2022 annual report with audited financial statements

• Total income for the first quarter of 2023 was EUR 4.6 million (first quarter 2022: EUR 3.6 million)
• Order book value increased by 12% compared to March 31, 2022
• Invitation to the presentation of the 2022 Annual Report on April 20, 2023 at 9.30 CEST

Deventer, April 13, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today releases its trading update for the first quarter of 2023. The total income for the quarter was EUR 4.6 million, which is 28% higher than the total income in the first quarter of 2022. Having in mind the forecasted increase of the total income in 2023 over last year, it is encouraging to see the growth in total income in the first quarter and that the order book continues to rise. 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 in the Failure Analysis & Qualification unit.

“I’m very proud to be able to report another increase in total income for the first quarter of 2023. We are working very hard to support our customers in their demanding test and qualification tasks and the continuous high level of total income shows that we are doing a good job”, says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “The steady increase in the order book is a good indicator for the rest of the year and makes us confident for the future.”

RoodMicrotec will publish the 2022 Annual Report before the opening of the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The Company’s Board of Management, Martin Sallenhag and Arvid Ladega, will comment on the report and answer questions during the conference call for media, analysts and shareholders to be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:30 CEST.

You are invited to join the Microsoft TEAMS event using the following login instructions:
Join with your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only)
+49 69 509544247 Germany, Frankfurt am Main
+31 20 399 9804 The Netherlands, Amsterdam
+32 2 895 09 68 Belgium, Bruxelles
+41 43 217 23 02 Switzerland, Zurich
Find a local number – in case you are in another country
Phone Conference ID: 124 673 558#
 
Outlook
RoodMicrotec expects the total income for 2023 to be in the range of EUR 17.0 million to EUR 17.5 million, with a profit before tax of 5-10% and thus in line with the financial targets. The geopolitical situation in the world and the current energy crisis throughout Europe could have an impact on the Company’s business. The Management is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any potentially negative 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

• Read more about Trading Update: RoodMicrotec announces total income for the first quarter of 2023

[April 10, 2023 – Taipei, Taiwan] Test Research, Inc. (TRI) has unveiled its latest innovation in Conformal Coating Inspection, the TR7700 SIII Ultra CI. Equipped with advanced optical design, specialized multi-phase lighting, and intelligent inspection algorithms, this cutting-edge AOI can detect coating issues with unprecedented accuracy, measure coating thickness, and inspect dispensed flux and glue.

The TR7700 SIII Ultra CI AOI can precisely measure coating thickness from critical areas on the PCB, detecting unwanted coating spills near PCB connectors, sensitive components, and designated mounting holes. The CI software can identify common coating issues, including cracks, bubbles/voids, insufficient/excess coating, and loss of adhesion, with innovative algorithms calculating the maximum/minimum coating coverage length and measuring coating length, splash, or insufficient coating. The coating thickness measurement range is from 35 μm to 750 μm.

The Smart CI AOI allows for the creation of coating maps from CAD data for rapid deployment. The smart programming also extends to learning and tuning the coating programming for an accurate inspection.

Upgrade your conformal coating inspection with TRI's latest technology. For more information about the TR7700 SIII Ultra CI, please visit the link below, https://www.tri.com.tw/en/product/product_detail-60-2-1689-1.html.

TRI's PCBA Test and Inspection solutions and Industry 4.0 data-driven management system, YMS 4.0, can help manufacturers realize their production line's full potential. These systems are designed to interoperate with other manufacturing equipment, minimize downtime, optimize production quality, and reduce operator workload.

About TRI
Test Research, Inc. (TRI) offers the most robust product portfolio in the industry for Automatic Test and Inspection solutions. From Optical Inspection to Board Testing, TRI provides the most cost-effective solutions to meet a comprehensive range of manufacturing Test and Inspection requirements. Learn more at http://www.tri.com.tw. For sales and service information, please write to us at [email protected] call +886-2-2832 8918.

• Read more about TRI releases Next-level Conformal Coating Inspection

SLiM 100 delivers real-time detection and quantification of VOCs to the 1 ppb level

Santa Clara, CA — March 14, 2023 — Picarro Inc., a leading provider of chemical metrology systems for advanced semiconductor fabs, today announced the SLiM 100 Lithography Process Tool Monitoring System. The new 1-ppb class chemical metrology solution detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the lithography process in real time, enabling semiconductor manufacturers to quickly take steps to prevent excursions and detect non-visual defects, thereby improving yield.

As design features shrink, small amounts of airborne molecular contamination (AMC) from VOCs are resulting in significant increases in non-visual defects on reticles and wafers. Crystal growth defects on reticles, hazing of scanner optics, and t-topping of photoresists are some of the serious problems that are caused by the presence of undesired VOCs. Ultimately, these contaminants not only damage expensive lithography tools; they result in yield loss on the wafer.

To mitigate the negative effects of VOCs in the lithography process, fab operators need real-time measurements of VOCs at very low concentration levels. This is very difficult to do in the fab environment with traditional technologies because they are slow and difficult to use.

The SLiM 100 system is a real-time measurement system that is designed to run 24/7 in the fab environment. It is a fully integrated chemical metrology system that is robust, easy to operate, and is ideal for use as a high-volume process monitoring and control system. It measures and monitors 10 organic compounds that negatively affect the lithography process with concentration sensitivity down to 1 part per billion. The system can also accommodate analyzers that measure inorganic molecules at parts-per-trillion concentration levels.

“The Picarro SLiM 100 enables fab operators to detect and resolve semiconductor manufacturing issues much faster than other solutions,” said Dr. Sanjay Yedur, Director of Product Management at Picarro. “This robust system will allow them to reduce costs by halting production of defective wafers sooner and minimize downtime of lithography tools for maintenance and repair."

About Picarro Semiconductor Solutions
Picarro’s Semiconductor business offers industry leading solutions for airborne molecular contamination (AMC) and chemical contaminant monitoring within fabs and process tools. Picarro’s Semiconductor solutions respond to contaminants in seconds, not hours, enabling semiconductor manufacturers to quickly mitigate contamination events in cleanrooms, FOUP, and lithography process equipment – improving production yield. For more information, visit semi.picarro.com.

• Read more about Picarro’s New 1-ppb Class Chemical Metrology Solution for Lithography Process Tool Monitoring Enables Semiconductor Fabs to Improve Process Control

Deventer, March 8, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary RoodMicrotec GmbH has entered into an agreement for a full and final settlement with Prime Capital Debt SCS, SICAV-FIS – Robus Recovery Sub-Fund ("Robus") regarding the perpetual bond that RoodMicrotec GmbH issued in 2010 and which is held by Robus.

As announced on 21 February 2022, Robus had initiated legal proceedings against RoodMicrotec GmbH before the Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main. Robus claimed being entitled to an 11.7% compensation payment in relation to 2017, 2018 and H1-2021. In addition, alleging non-compliance by RoodMicrotec GmbH of the terms and conditions of the 2010 perpetual bond, Robus claimed the immediate and full repayment of the nominal amount of the perpetual bond asserting grounds for the extraordinary termination of the perpetual bond. The total amount claimed by Robus in the proceedings amounted to EUR 2,568k to be increased with 11.7% interest for the applicable period.

Following an oral hearing held on 7 March 2023, the parties have reached agreement on a full and final settlement that was reached before and confirmed by the Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main. Pursuant to the settlement, RoodMicrotec GmbH shall pay a total amount of EUR 2,194k, in four equal instalments of EUR 548k each, by 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2023. RoodMicrotec will be able to pay the installments from free available cash.

RoodMicrotec is pleased that the ongoing litigation procedure is now settled and the dispute is closed.

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

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

• Read more about RoodMicrotec enters into final settlement agreement with Robus regarding legal proceedings on 2010 perpetual bond

PENANG, MALAYSIA - FEBRUARY 2023 Wafer inspection is always a critical stage for quality assurance for wafer foundry, integrated device manufacturing (IDM), fabless, and outsourced semiconductor assembly & test (OSAT). Since semiconductor devices are continuously getting smaller and more complex, the requirement for wafer inspection has become more stringent to accommodate these changes. However, defects on the wafer may be overlooked and may pass through the final stages of fabrication and assembly if they are not eliminated or filtered out, which could be a costly mistake for the manufacturers. Consequently, this will lead to increasing demand for quality wafer production.

At ViTrox, we aim to be the World’s Most Trusted Technology Company in providing innovative, advanced, and cost-effective automated Machine Vision Inspection Solutions. Therefore, we would like to introduce our all-new Wi8i G2 PRO Wafer Vision Inspection Handler, which is designed to offer high flexibility in wafer handling, cover different semiconductor processes and high-accuracy inspection results to the users of the semiconductor market, and is also an expansion to the inspection capabilities of our existing Wafer Vision Inspection Hander - Wi8i G2.

One Solution For Two Semiconductor Processes
The all-new Wi8i G2 PRO solution is enhanced with hardware and programming features to accommodate both bare wafers (pre-dicing process) and mounted wafers (post-dicing process) inspection requirements. This innovative configuration eliminates the need for hardware conversion on the wafer robot arm when inspecting these two wafer types of the same size, which is suitable for production involving both pre-and-post-dicing processes and/or having a high-mix-low-volume of bare and mounted wafers. Hence, our Wi8i G2 PRO is the ideal solution to deliver high overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) which guarantees excellent wafer quality without any machine stop time.

Ability To Handle Up To 12” Wafers & FOUP
Based on the current market trend, there is a demand for wafer inspection equipment to cater to larger wafers due to the increasing number of chip-related productions. To address this, our Wi8i G2 PRO offers a significant enhancement in catering to a new type of wafer carrier box, Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) which is particularly important to users with such production practice to accommodate 12 inches of bare wafer transferring. Nowadays, FOUPs are the preferred carrier boxes to handle raw water because FOUPs offer a sealed wafer environment that provides static protection, white-light shielding, and control of moisture and oxygen. Today’s FOUPs not only address particles, but also minimize and control volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxygen, and relative humidity. Any of these potential contamination sources can negatively impact device yield. Alternatively, should the user need to handle framed wafers, they can opt for a metal cassette instead.

Users are also able to configure their load ports based on their production needs, which can be either:
FOUP + Metal cassette
FOUP + FOUP
Metal cassette + Metal cassette

This load port design accommodates both 8 inches and 12 inches of metal cassettes on the load ports, which translates to cost-effectiveness on different-sized wafer inspections!

Robust Wafer Inspection With Our Advanced Vision Optics
Wi8i G2 PRO is not only equipped with robust vision optics that provides high-quality image under different magnification lenses but also integrates an advanced deep-learning algorithm in defect detection and determining the defect types. When a user’s wafer has a complex circuit design and/or is required to inspect different defect types at different regions, this algorithm is the perfect solution for enhancing the accuracy of defect detection.

With the combination of cutting-edge wafer handling mechanisms and robust wafer vision inspection, our latest Wafer Inspection Solution is guaranteed to solve your production pain points! Additionally, we also seek to better understand our customers’ needs in their production line and boost their production yield and also significantly reduce their long-term costs.

Interested to know more about our Wi8i G2 PRO? Do get in touch with our Sales Expert Ms Kong Poh Mei ([email protected]). To top it off, we also invite you to visit us here at ViTrox Campus 2.0 in Penang, Malaysia for a demonstration of the solution. We look forward to serving you!

About ViTrox Technologies
ViTrox is committed to being the World’s Most Trusted Technology Company to provide the most innovative, advanced, and cost-effective machine vision solutions 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, Electronics Communication Systems, and Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Intelligence Solutions. ViTrox is headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, with offices in Asia, Germany, and the United States, as well as sales and support sites worldwide.

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

• Read more about Discover ViTrox’s Latest and Advanced Wafer Inspection Solution – the Wi8i G2 PRO!

American IC manufacturers have 56% of their wafer capacity installed at fabs located in other regions of the world, according to the new Global Wafer Capacity 2023 report from Knometa Research. As of year-end 2022, American companies have installed capacity of 4.6 million 200mm-equivalent wafers per month, with 2.0 million in domestic fabs and 2.6 million in fabs at foreign sites.

Of the major IC producing countries and regions (Americas, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan), the Americas region is unique in that foreign capacity exceeds that of domestic capacity.

The biggest volumes of offshore capacity for American companies are in Singapore (22% share of total), Taiwan (12%), Japan (10%), Germany (4%), Ireland (3%), and Israel (2%).

• Singapore: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, GlobalFoundries - 4 fabs
• Taiwan: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, Diodes - 1 fab
• Japan: Micron Technology - 4 fabs, TI - 2 fabs, Onsemi - 1 fab
• Germany: GlobalFoundries - 2 fabs, TI - 1 fab
• Ireland: Intel - 1 fab, Analog Devices - 1 fab
• Israel: Intel - 2 fabs

With its many large fabs in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan, Micron owns by far the most offshore capacity, accounting for 65% of the 2.6 million wafers in monthly capacity. GlobalFoundries is next with a 14% share followed by Intel with 9% and Texas Instruments with 5%.

In the past couple years, American companies have announced several major fab construction projects in the U.S. Some of these came about as a result of the CHIPS Act passed by the U.S. government in July 2022 to boost American semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.

American-owned fabs under construction in the U.S. and scheduled to open during 2024-2025 include:

• Intel - Fabs 52 and 62 in Chandler, Arizona
• Texas Instruments - Fabs SM1 and SM2 in Sherman, Texas
• Intel - Fab 27 in New Albany, Ohio
• Micron - Fab in Boise, Idaho

Micron will also build a large fab site in Clay, New York, but this project is part of the company's long-term capacity expansion plans and construction will not begin until 2024 at the earliest. In January 2023, Analog Devices announced plans to double the capacity of its fab in Beaverton, Oregon.

While the share of domestic IC wafer capacity will increase some in the next several years with the opening of these large new fabs in the U.S., American companies are building or have plans to build additional fabs at overseas sites as well. Moreover, Intel's pending acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, with its fabs in Israel and Japan (as well as the U.S.), will shift the balance in the direction of more foreign capacity. Had Tower been part of Intel at the end of 2022 with the headquarters of the combined operations being in the U.S., the foreign share of American-owned capacity would be one percentage point higher at 57%.

About Global Wafer Capacity 2023
Global Wafer Capacity provides a detailed examination of existing fab capacity along with a five-year forecast to 2027. The report has been published on an annual basis since 2007, initially by IC Insights. In December 2021, IC Insights transferred business associated with Global Wafer Capacity to co-founder Trevor Yancey. Mr. Yancey became an independent contractor in 2014 but continued as the principal analyst and project manager for Global Wafer Capacity. Published in January 2023, Global Wafer Capacity 2023 is sold by Mr. Yancey’s company Knometa Research. For more information, visit https://knometa.com/gwc.

About Knometa Research
Knometa Research is a semiconductor technology and market analysis firm led by former IC Insights executive, Trevor Yancey. Mr. Yancey co-founded IC Insights in 1997 with Bill McClean and Brian Matas. In 2014, Mr. Yancey established Knometa Research to serve as an independent contractor for TechSearch International and for IC Insights until that business closed in December 2022. For more information, visit https://knometa.com.

• Read more about More than half of American-owned IC fab capacity exists overseas

RoodMicrotec N.V. reports preliminary total income of EUR 16.5 million for 2022
• The preliminary total income for 2022 of EUR 16.5 million exceeded the outlook by EUR 0.9 million
• Order book value increased by 19% compared to end of 2021
• Cash position very healthy to support further growth

Deventer, January 26, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductors supply and quality services, today publishes the unaudited preliminary total income for the financial year 2022. The unaudited preliminary total income for 2022 amounted to EUR 16.5 million, which is 14% higher than in 2021 (EUR 14.5 million) resulting in a second consecutive year with double-digit growth. Notably, this is the highest total income since 2000, and it shows that RoodMicrotec is focusing on the right fast-growing future-oriented markets.

In the second half of 2022, the unaudited preliminary total income was EUR 9.2 million - an increase of 28% compared to the second half of 2021 (EUR 7.2 million). In 2022, the order book increased by 19% compared to the orders booked at the end of 2021, which is a good predictor for a steady quality of the services provided and a high satisfaction level of our customers.

“Again, we managed to outperform our expectations by focusing on our core business and services. In 2022, we saw significant increases in demand from our customers both for new products as well as for existing products”, says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “We are very pleased with the overall development of the Company in 2022 and expect a further increase in total income for 2023. The excellent cash situation enables us to invest for future growth where necessary.”

Throughout 2022, the Test Operations unit showed a strong increase, which was related to the excellent services provided by RoodMicrotec to its new and existing customers. The Supply Chain Management unit showed a limited increase in 2022 compared to last year. The sharp increase in the second half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2022 was due to a higher demand for existing products as well as the production ramp-up in the context of new long-term contracts. In 2022, the Qualification & Failure Analysis unit saw a decrease compared to 2021. However, the total income for the second half of 2022 was 9% higher than for the first half of 2022, which shows that new customer projects are now starting.

Total income per operational unit for the financial year 2022 compared to the financial year 2021:
(x € 1,000) FY 2022 FY 2021 Change
Test Operations 10,034 7,938 +26%
Supply Chain Management 3,533 3,364 +5%
Qualification & Failure Analysis 2,980 3,230 -8%

TOTAL 16,547 14,532 +14%

Outlook
RoodMicrotec expects the total income for 2023 to be in the range of EUR 17.0 million to EUR 17.5 million, with a profit before tax of 5-10%, and thus in line with the financial targets. The geopolitical situation in the world and the current energy crisis throughout Europe could have an impact on the Company’s business. The Management is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any potentially negative impact.

Audit
The financial data in this press release have not been audited.

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, conditions of the worldwide semiconductor industry, 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.

Financial calendar
April 13, 2023 Trading update quarter 1-2023
April 20, 2023 Publication annual report 2022
April 20, 2023 Conference call for media, analysts and shareholders
June 6, 2023 Annual general meeting of shareholders
July 20, 2023 Publication interim report 2023
July 20, 2023 Conference call for media, analysts and shareholders
October 19, 2023 Trading update quarter 3-2023

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

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

• Read more about RoodMicrotec N.V. reports preliminary total income of EUR 16.5 million for 2022

Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences, and “More-than-Moore” applications, today announced that it has sold a VertaCure XP G2 system to Korea’s LB Semicon. The VertaCure XP G2 is the latest generation of YES’s flagship VertaCure vacuum curing system, and LB Semicon’s will be the first such system to be installed in Korea. Delivery is expected at the end of March.

Key factors in the purchase decision were the VertaCure XP G2’s superior throughput, exceptional particle performance, and thorough PI/PBO curing capability – all benefits derived from its proven vacuum-based process. The system will support a bump/RDL application for wafer-level chip scale packaging (WLCSP). It accommodates both 200mm and 300mm wafers, providing valuable flexibility for this and future applications.

“As semiconductor chip manufacturers seek to produce ever-smaller products with higher performance and lower power consumption, wafer bumping technology is expanding its application scope and creating greater value. In order to keep up with this trend, LB Semicon is deeply committed to continuous research and development,” said LB Semicon’s CEO, Dr. Nick (Namseog) Kim. “We believe that YES’s VertaCure XP G2 curing system will enable our company to deliver the cutting-edge technology needed as Korea continues its growth as a world-class semiconductor powerhouse.”

“We are pleased and proud that our VertaCure XP G2 was selected for this leading-edge application,” said Bioh Kim, President of YES Korea. “This order showcases YES’s growing role as a trusted global partner in the production of innovative technologies. We look forward to supporting LB Semicon’s efforts, now and into the future.”

About YES
Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. (YES) is a preferred provider of high-tech, cost-effective equipment for enhancing surfaces and materials. The company’s product lines include thermal processing systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, and wet process equipment used for the precise surface modification of semiconductor substrates, semiconductor and MEMS devices, LED displays, and biodevices. Customers ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies rely on YES systems to create and volume-produce innovative products in a wide range of markets. YES is headquartered in Fremont, California, with a growing global presence. For more information, please visit yieldengineering.com.

About LB Semicon
Based in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, LB Semicon provides bumping, probe test, back-end, and WLCSP services for display driver integrated circuits (DDI), CMOS image sensors (CIS), and power management integrated circuits (PMIC) used in electronic devices such as TVs, monitors, and mobile phones.
LBS has continuously developed and evolved its technology since the company’s founding in 2000, starting with gold bumping for TFT LCD and OLED DDIs, and expanding over the years into solder bumping, Cu pillar bumping, and WLCSP. The company maintains solid partnerships with top semiconductor chip manufacturers in Korea and elsewhere, and has more than a thousand employees. For more information, please visit www.lbsemicon.com.

• Read more about Leading Korean OSAT Purchases YES VertaCure™ XP for Higher Yield and Performance

PRESS RELEASE | Nijmegen, the Netherlands, January 19, 2023

Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) will intensify its cooperation with acoustic microscopy expert PVA TePla Analytical Systems GmbH. The cooperation offers exciting opportunities for both organizations to benefit from the synergies that exist between them.

Successfully determining which materials and processes are reliable for packaging is crucial to the mass commercialization of power and WBG semiconductors. Flawless basic materials are the key to flawless products. Cracks, cavities, detachment, or inclusions result in failures during the subsequent production process, which can be avoided with the help of reliable material analysis.

To realize this in its Thermal High-Performance packaging program, CITC is going to use the PVA TePla Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) 302 HD2 system. The microscope system provides non-destructive quality control capabilities and will therefore allow CITC to assess the reliability of the sinter die attachment to the leadframe.

The collaboration will also see both parties sharing information with their respective businesses to showcase the technical capability and infrastructure on offer at both organizations. Finally, PVA TePla and CITC will be exploring opportunities to jointly develop research opportunities.

Peter Czurratis, Managing Director of PVA TePla is excited about the partnership: “CITC is an upcoming and leading research center focused on new semiconductor wafer technologies and new trends in packaging and systems integration. Their cooperation with semiconductor companies and universities provides us with an excellent research platform for defining our future roadmap for the next generation of acoustic microscopes.”

CITC Business Development Manager, Marco Koelink, is also looking forward to this collaboration: “PVA TePla is one of the leading suppliers of Scanning Acoustic Microscopes. Through this collaboration, CITC will gain access to advanced analytical capabilities that will help us not only to analyze and identify bond layer failures, but also better understand material performance and predict failures at an early stage. That is a crucial capability in the development of robust and reliable bonding technologies.”

About CITC
Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) is a non-profit joint innovation center specializing in heterogeneous integration and advanced chip packaging technology. CITC has created an effective ecosystem in which companies, research and educational institutes work on bridging the gap between academics and industry. CITC’s contribution to the ecosystem is to provide access to innovation, infrastructure and education.
www.citc.org

About PVA TePla
With experience and know-how, PVA TePla AG has for many years supported important manufacturing processes and technological developments, primarily in the semiconductor, hard metal, electrical/electronics, and optical industries, but also in the forward-looking fields of energy, photovoltaics, and environmental technology.
https://www.pvatepla.com/en

• Read more about CITC intensifies cooperation with PVA TePla