PENANG, MALAYSIA - AUGUST 2023 ViTrox, which aims to be the world’s most trusted technology company, is excited to announce its first-ever participation in ELEXCON Shenzhen 2023, one of the influential trade shows in Southern China, at Hall 9, Booth #9G17 in Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (SZCEC), China from 23rd to 25th August 2023.

ViTrox will be showcasing its latest Back-end Semiconductor Inspection Solutions, which are the Tray-Based Vision Handler – TR3000i and the Post Seal Vision Handler – VR20i G2 during the event.

Introducing the Tray-to-Tape & Reel Vision Inspection Handler –TR3000i, the cutting-edge solution tailored for 5G, IoT, Automotive, and Industry 4.0 industries. Its high-resolution 6-sided vision system ensures comprehensive inspections, supporting sizes from 1.8x1.8mm to 130x130mm without conversion. The TR3000i's robust handling features auto-pitching, tape width conversion, 8 active approaches for Smart Taper Precision, and up to 3x14 pick-and-place nozzles. With additional hardware configurations like the Smart Reel Changer, Auto Nozzle Changer, AUX Tray, and Extended Track, it guarantees high efficiency and high throughput. Fully automated and A.I.-powered, it optimises production yield, setting new standards for efficiency, connectivity, and precision in emerging industries.

ViTrox’s Post Seal Vision Handler – VR20i G2 is a game-changer in reel-to-reel inspection. Designed for tape widths from 8mm to 32mm, it features advanced visual inspection capabilities and automated mechanisms for track and dummy reel width adjustment, ensuring precise component handling. The system supports various package types with multiple vision inspections, enabling comprehensive and high-quality results. With dual-track to improve productivity, it enhances throughput by processing over 130K UPH for a 2mm pocket pitch and 80K UPH for a 4mm pocket pitch, while fast changeovers for different carrier tapes minimise downtime. The VR20i G2 guarantees maximum efficiency, reduces human error, and greatly reduces the return on investment (ROI) period, making it the ideal solution to automate your final gate inspection.

Start your productivity-boosting journey with ViTrox's advanced solutions! Secure an appointment to meet our technical experts and experience live product demonstrations by clicking the registration link. If you want to know more about our solutions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. Get ready to take your productivity to the next level!

Registration Link: https://wj.qq.com/s2/12764140/8c87/

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

ViTrox offers a full spectrum of solutions, ranging from Middle & Back-end Semiconductor Inspection Solutions, SMT PCB Assembly Vision Inspection Solutions, 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 and sales and support sites worldwide.

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

• Read more about ViTrox to Demonstrate Next-Generation Vision Inspection Systems at ELEXCON Shenzhen 2023!

RoodMicrotec N.V. publishes the Interim Report for 2023

• Total income grew by 18.5% to EUR 8.7 million (HY1 2022: EUR 7.3 million)
• EBITDA increased to EUR 1.8 million (HY1 2022: EUR 1.4 million)
• Net profit rose to EUR 0.9 million (HY1 2022: EUR 0.6 million)

Deventer, July 20, 2023 – RoodMicrotec N.V., a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services, today publishes the Interim Report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2023.
RoodMicrotec reports a total income of EUR 8.7 million for the first half-year of 2023, which is 18.5% higher than the total income reported for the first half-year of 2022 and 6% lower than for the second half-year of 2022. The increase in total income is driven by a continued strong delivery level, especially by the Test Operations unit. The slight reduction between the second half-year of 2022 and the first half-year of 2023 is predominantly due to the normal cyclical business in the semiconductor industry, where the second half of the year typically can be characterized by stronger demand.

Operational Unit (x EUR 1,000) HY1 2023 HY1 2022 Change
Test Operations 5,845 4,496 30.0%
Supply Chain Management 1,466 1,398 4.9%
Qualification & Failure Analysis 1,356 1,423 -4.7%
Total 8,667 7,317 18.5%

Total operating expenses for the first half-year of 2023 amounted to EUR 6.8 million against EUR 5.9 million for the first half-year of 2022, while cost for raw materials and consumables remained stable at EUR 1.1 million. Personnel expenses increased to EUR 4.0 million (HY1 2022: EUR 3.6 million) due to bonus expenses and an increase in the number of employees. Other operating expenses increased to EUR 1.7 million (HY1 2022: EUR 1.2 million), predominantly due to the costs incurred for financial and legal advice and support in relation to the Public Offering process in the amount of EUR 0.5 million for the first half-year of 2023.

EBITDA increased from EUR 1.4 million for the first half-year of 2022 to EUR 1.8 million for the first half-year of 2023. Through excellent cost control we have succeeded in further reducing the overall costs as a percentage of total income by 1.4% in the first half-year of 2023. The cost of raw materials stayed at EUR 1.1 million in the first half-year of 2023, but as percentage of total income came down by 2%-points to 13% compared to first half-year of 2022.

Depreciation charges of EUR 0.8 million were higher in the first half-year of 2023 (HY1 2022: EUR 0.7 million) due to capital expenditure during the second half-year of 2022 and the first half-year of 2023. Total financial expenses maintained at the same level of EUR 0.1 million for the first half-year of 2023 and 2022.

Net profit for the first half-year of 2023 increased by 35% to EUR 0.9 million compared to the first half-year of 2022.

Adjusting for non-recurring costs incurred for financial and legal advice and support in relation to the Public Offering process in the amount of EUR 0.5 million in the first half-year of 2023, the adjusted EBITDA would have been EUR 2.3 million (HY1 2022: EUR 1.4 million) and the adjusted net profit would have been EUR 1.4 million (HY1 2022: EUR 0.6 million).

Financial data (x EUR 1,000) Note HY1 2023 HY1 2022
Total Income 8,667 7,317
EBITDA 1,825 1,440
Adjusted EBITDA 1 2,286 1,440
Net profit 869 644
Adjusted net profit 1 1,330 644

Note 1: after excluding non-recurring costs incurred for financial and legal advice and support in relation to the Public Offering process in the amount of EUR 0.5 million in the first half-year 2023

Net cash flow from operating activities for the first half-year of 2023 was positive with EUR 1.8 million (HY1 2022: EUR 0.3 million). The increase results from higher net profit and reduced working capital compared to the first half-year of 2022. Cash flow from investing activities was EUR 0.5 million negative (HY1 2022: EUR 0.4 million negative). Cash flow from financing activities for the first half-year of 2023 amounted to EUR 1.2 million negative (HY1 2022: EUR 0.5 million negative), including EUR 1.1 million for redemption of the non-controlling interest (HY1 2022: EUR 0.4 million negative). Total net cash flow for the first half-year of 2023 amounted to EUR 0.1 million positive (HY1 2022: EUR 0.6 million negative). Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the half-year of 2023 amounted to EUR 3.7 million (December 31, 2022: EUR 3.6 million; June 30, 2022: EUR 1.9 million).

“The first six months of 2023 have continued to run at the same level as the second half-year of 2022 which meant a good start for the whole year. We still see some supply challenges in the world, but we have been able to continue our Test Operations at a high utilization level. The load situation at the end of the second quarter, in combination with our current order book level provide a solid base for the second half-year of 2023.”, says Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec.

Interim Report 2023 (reviewed by KPMG Accountants N.V. due to Public Offering process)
You will find the complete Interim Report 2023, which is available in English only, on our corporate website: www.roodmicrotec.com/en/investor-relations-en/financial-publications.
The Interim Report 2023 has been reviewed by KPMG Accountants N.V. pursuant to the provisions of Appendix B, Paragraph 2 sub 2.4 of the Dutch Decree on Public Takeover Bids (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft). The review opinion issued by KPMG Accountants N.V. is attached to the Interim Report 2023.

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%. The geopolitical situation in the world and the current energy crisis throughout Europe could have an impact on the Company’s business. RoodMicrotec is keeping a close eye on the situation and is doing everything possible to mitigate any potential negative impact.

Financial calendar
July 20, 2023 Conference call for media, analysts and shareholders
October 19, 2023 Trading update for the third quarter of 2023
[Date to be determined] Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (in relation to the Public Offer by Microtest)
Conference call
CEO Martin Sallenhag and CFO Arvid Ladega will present the Interim Report 2023 and hold a Q&A session. You are invited to join RoodMicrotec’s conference call for media, analysts and shareholders (a Microsoft TEAMS event) on
Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 9:30 CEST

Login-information:
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
+39 02 3206 8489 Italy, Milano
Find a local number – in case you are in another country
Phone Conference ID: 236 111 572#

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and prognoses by the Board of Management as well as 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
With more than 50 years of experience in the semiconductor and electronics industry, RoodMicrotec is a leading independent company for semiconductor supply and quality services. RoodMicrotec is a highly valued partner for many companies worldwide and offers specifically tailored turnkey solutions for each single customer's requirements. The turnkey services include project management, wafer test, assembly, final test, qualification, failure analysis, and logistics. All services provided by RoodMicrotec meet the high quality standards of the automotive, industrial, healthcare, and high reliability aerospace sectors. RoodMicrotec is headquartered in Deventer, Netherlands, with operational units in Nördlingen and Stuttgart, Germany.
For more information, please visit https://www.roodmicrotec.com

Further information
Martin Sallenhag, CEO or Arvid Ladega, CFO
Phone +31 570 745623, E-mail [email protected]

This press release is published in English only. 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 RoodMicrotec N.V. publishes the Interim Report for 2023

At the end of 2022, there were 167 semiconductor fabs processing 300mm wafers for the fabrication of ICs, including CMOS image sensors, and non-IC products such as power discretes.

While the semiconductor market downturn persists, 13 new 300mm wafer fabs are still being brought online in 2023. These new fabs are mostly for the production of power transistors, advanced logic, and foundry services.

Based on construction schedules as of late 2022, 15 300mm fabs will be brought online in 2024, 13 of them for production of ICs. A record number of fabs are expected to open in 2025 with 17 scheduled to begin production. With cutbacks in spending during 2023, some fabs previously scheduled to open in 2024 could be delayed to 2025. By 2027, the number of 300mm fabs in operation should exceed 230. These are projections made in Knometa’s Global Wafer Capacity 2023 report.

An increasing number of 300mm fabs are being built to fabricate non-IC devices, and power transistors in particular. The manufacturing cost benefits of processing chips on the large wafers come into play for device types characterized by large die sizes and high volumes. Examples of integrated circuits with these characteristics include DRAMs, flash memory, image sensors, complex logic and microcomponent ICs, PMICs, baseband processors, audio CODECs, and display drivers. While large-size power transistors are still small compared to the die sizes of these ICs, they ship in high volumes and are big enough to keep a 300mm fab loaded at a cost-effective production level.

Of the 13 300mm wafer fabs opening in 2023, five are focused on the production of non-IC products, with three of them located in China and two in Japan.

Two-thirds of the new 300mm fabs opening this year are for foundry services, with four of them wholly dedicated to the service of fabricating semiconductors for other companies on a foundry basis.

ST formed two separate partnerships to add new 300mm fab capacity at existing sites in Crolles, France, and Agrate, Italy. In Crolles, ST is working with GlobalFoundries to add new capacity for advanced logic and foundry services. In Agrate, ST and Tower Semiconductor are adding capacity for mixed-signal, power, RF, and foundry services.

Much of the pain from the current market contraction is being felt in the memory chip arena. Not surprisingly, there are no new 300mm fabs for memory opening in 2023.

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 IC Insights and TechSearch International. For more information, visit https://knometa.com.

• Read more about Despite market weakness, new 300mm fabs still opening in 2023, many for power discretes

Effective July 1st, Photodigm is reducing the retail price of its Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) semiconductor laser diodes by 25% and showcasing a new product strategy to deliver savings and simplicity to its global customer base.

JUNE 26, 2023 (RICHARDSON, TX) –– Photodigm is thrilled to announce that as of July 1st, its entire product portfolio of Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser diodes will receive a historic 25% price reduction and new strategic approach to deliver savings and simplicity to its global customer base.

The semiconductor manufacturer announced a progressive tiered pricing strategy earlier this year to provide discounts on higher-volume orders of 100 units or more. As customer demand continued to increase, Photodigm intentionally invested in R&D projects partnering with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to raise yields and overall volume of their fab, evolving from the company’s early years of on-demand production where it operated much like a university research lab.

“As we continue our journey to ever-improving laser lifetimes with better quality, higher yields, and gains in our overall production process, we are intentionally leveraging every opportunity to drive value to our customers,” said Bill Stuart, President and CEO of Photodigm.

Photodigm’s product portfolio now boasts thirty-two wavelengths of DBR laser diodes including Spectroscopy Certified devices tuned to unique elements like Rubidium which is often used in biomedical sensing applications or atomic clocks in GPS-denied environments for military applications.

To empower its customers, Photodigm restructured its product line around four simple decisions –– application (wavelength), functionality (chip architecture), added customization, and device packaging all with transparent pricing to provide a clear understanding of the added value in each selection.

“We’re putting our customers in the driver's seat by providing them with greater insight into our product capabilities and pricing than ever before,” says Mandy Eaton, VP of Sales & Marketing at Photodigm. “One of our core tenets at Photodigm is to foster innovation through collaboration and our new strategic approach to our product [portfolio] invites customers to shop, but also prompts them to ask themselves what they really need our technology to provide, which helps us evolve together.”

Photodigm, Inc. is the only 100% U.S.-based commercial manufacturer of semiconductor DBR laser diodes 730–1090nm with a global clientele of corporations, government entities, space programs, research labs, and universities. View the new catalog offering and updated pricing at www.photodigm.com/DBR.

About Photodigm, Inc.
For over 20 years Photodigm, Inc. has been the only 100% U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer of single spatial and longitudinal mode Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser diodes. DBR lasers are essential to quantum sensing and atomic clock manufacturers, optical metrology and sensing, and laser spectroscopy. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, they design and produce fixed wavelength diode lasers best known for their accuracy and reliability. Learn more at Photodigm.com.

• Read more about PHOTODIGM UNVEILS A STRATEGIC PRODUCT RESTRUCTURING PAIRED WITH A 25% PRICE REDUCTION AS CUSTOMER DEMAND CONTINUES TO DRIVE INCREASED PRODUCTION

Dresden, 21 June 2023. On 19 June, Masao Hodai, Chief Operating Officer of EBARA Precision Machinery Company Tokyo, visited EBARA’s German site in Dresden-Weixdorf. After a welcome by Dr Reinhart Richter, Managing Director of EBARA Precision Machinery Europe, an informative tour followed, during which Masao Hodai inspected the Overhaul Centre for vacuum pumps, built in 2021, the warehouse, the training facilities currently being built, and representatives from the most important product divisions. A joint lunch with members of Dresden’s staff rounded off his visit.

Strong signal for the Dresden location
“The visit of COO Masao Hodai reinforces our location within the Silicon Saxony region and shows the significant status of the semiconductor industry in Dresden for EBARA’s headquarters in Japan. Our progress in terms of safety, quality, CO2 reduction and market acquisition has made a deep impression. All EBARA employees in Dresden feel very honoured by this visit from Japan”, said Dr Reinhart Richter, happily. In the afternoon, in-depth client meetings were on the agenda at the Dresden site before Masao Hodai returned home to Tokyo.

About EBARA
EBARA Precision Machinery Europe (EPME) GmbH, headquartered in Sauerlach near Munich, is the European sales and service company of EBARA Corporation Tokyo. EBARA is a leading global manufacturer of vacuum and semiconductor systems used to produce wafers, liquid crystals, solar cells and other high-tech products. EBARA Corporation was founded in 1912 by Issey Hatakeyama and employs over 19,000 people worldwide. With an annual turnover of 4.7 billion euros, EBARA is one of the largest companies in the industry. EBARA supplies 16 of the top 20 manufacturers in the chip industry.

About EBARA Precision Machinery Europe
The EPME portfolio includes dry and turbomolecular vacuum pumps as well as modern gas abatement systems for the chemical industry, for example. In addition, EPME distributes state-of-the-art CMP tools, wafer bevel polishing and substrate coating systems for chip manufacturing. In 2021 EBARA opened its second modern overhaul centre for vacuum pumps in Dresden. EPME has been operating a vacuum pump overhaul centre in Livingston (UK) since 1993. EPME employs over 250 people in Europe and Israel.
Photo: EBARA / Tommy Halfter

• Read more about Important visitor from Japan – from parent company EBARA Corporation Tokyo