November 03, 2021 | 11:30 AM SAST | Nicol Ritchie | • Press releases

AMSTERDAM - DataProphet, the leading AI-for-manufacturing company, today announced the extension of its Semiconductor Advisory Board. The award-winning industrial technology business welcomes Dr. Antonio (Toni) Mesquida Küsters. Dr. Mesquida Küsters joins Susan Wilkerson and Markus Keil, who recently formed this strategic committee of specialist semiconductor advisors at DataProphet in August of 2021.

Toni brings more than 25 years of management experience in the semiconductor industry, where he has held positions at major integrated circuit and semiconductor equipment manufacturers such as Infineon and ASML, where he currently heads up product marketing and business development. His responsibilities have included product marketing, business development, strategy and sourcing & operations management.

As an experienced venture capital investor, Mesquida Küsters also understands start-ups, how they operate and how they best execute expansion strategies. This experience will be relevant as DataProphet extends a global presence in the silicon space via its broader Integrator and Machine Builder partnership ecosystem.

Taken together, DataProphet's Semiconductor Advisory Board members bring a wealth of frontline semiconductor experience. Furthermore, Dr. Toni Mesquida Küsters, Susan Wilkerson and Markus Keil are outstanding additions to the broader DataProphet Industry Advisory Board, which will increasingly bolster the business’s expansion strategy as this relates to the diverse and critical manufacturing verticals benefiting from its AI-as-a-Service.

Specifically, the Semiconductor Industry Advisory board will work closely with DataProphet's leadership team as they strive to revolutionize production for the semiconductor industry worldwide with advanced Deep Learning.

The inclusion of Dr. Mesquida Küsters to the DataProphet team directly reflects the business's growth-oriented, go-to-market mindset at a crucial turning point in its commercial development.

Speaking of the announcement, Toni Mesquida Küsters had this to say:

"I am delighted to join the DataProphet team and contribute with my network and expertise to the growth of this exceptional company. As widely covered in the news, especially since the COVID pandemic started, semiconductor chips have become one of the key bottlenecks in many supply chains, including automotive, industrial, and consumer, to name a few. There is huge pressure from OEMs towards chip makers to increase the output of their factories by improving their yield and efficiency. Here is where manufacturing solutions based on Artificial Intelligence will bring huge value, as provided by DataProphet. The value of AI will be especially significant for IC makers, who barely use it in their current operations. I'm looking forward to working with Susan and Markus and the DataProphet management team in making the expansion of the company into the Semiconductor market a great success."

In response to the expansion of the Advisory Board, Frans Cronje, CEO, and Co-Founder of DataProphet stated:

"I'm thrilled to welcome Toni to our Semiconductor Advisory Board. Along with Susan Wilkerson's and Markus Keil's, Dr. Mesquida Küsters expertise will help us overcome the complex challenges customers contend with during semiconductor manufacturing. I look forward to the results we will achieve together as we roll out DataProphet's state-of-the-art AI technology for chipmakers and semiconductor machine builders."

ABOUT DATAPROPHET
DataProphet is a venture-backed, high-growth AI for manufacturing company that pioneered the development and delivery of Deep Learning solutions for manufacturers in key industries worldwide. As heavy industry moves towards autonomous manufacturing, its world-leading AI-powered solutions move customers from over-reliance on human experts to machine learning expert guidance. DataProphet's mission is for its manufacturing process-agnostic AI-as-a-Service innovations to continue revolutionizing process optimization—supporting its manifold manufacturing sector partners while expanding these partnerships globally.

DataProphet helps manufacturers of semiconductors, automotive equipment, rubber, glass, plastics, cast iron, and minerals to meet and exceed critical KPIs with cutting-edge AI-as-a-Service. Requiring no additional hardware investments, DataProphet supports users of its technology to become more competitive and more resource-efficient at any stage of the digital transformation journey. DataProphet AI deployments guarantee ROI in the first year of operation and provide ongoing and complete support after installation—including additional data sources and full model maintenance.

ABOUT TONI MESQUIDA KÜSTERS
Dr. Antonio (Toni) Mesquida Küsters joined ASML in Veldhoven as Director of Market Intelligence in 2006, where he significantly contributed to the management directions and priorities of the Dutch company. Between 2011 and 2014, he served as Sourcing Director and Managing Director of the ASML German Operations in Alsdorf (formerly Ushio / Xtreme Technologies) in EUV DPP Sources. Since the beginning of 2015, Toni has been in charge of product marketing & business development for all TWINSCAN dry lithography products with yearly sales of close to 2 billion Euros.

Between 1995 and 2001 in Munich, Toni held various management positions at Siemens AG (later Infineon Technologies AG) in IC development, technology transfer, product marketing, and corporate venturing. As one of the founding members of Infineon Ventures, he served on the supervisory board of various high-tech start-ups worldwide. At the German MOCVD equipment provider, AIXTRON SE, he was head of Corporate Strategy between 2002 and 2006.

Toni holds both Spanish and German nationality and earned his master's degree in Electrical Engineering (1990). He also attained a Ph.D. in Semiconductor Science (1994) from the RWTH Aachen in Germany. His technical education has been extended over the last 25 years with various executive courses at well-known business schools like INSEAD and Rotterdam School of Management.

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ESPOO, Finland, 23 of November 2021 – Picosun Group has launched a Medical Materials Library consisting of over ten materials intended for medical-related coating and encapsulation with Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). ALD coatings are ultra-thin, and they guarantee hermetic encapsulation of virtually any implanted device.

The materials library is a reflection of over six years extensive research and development that shows ALD can render biocompatibility to a substrate coated with Picosun library materials. Biocompatibility tests were carried out according to ISO standards in accredited third-party laboratories. The performed tests included for example cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity, skin irritation or sensitization, hemocompatibility, bacterial endotoxins, bioburden and sterilization residuals. From the tested materials Picosun is able to design tens of different types of end materials according to customer needs.

ALD technology provides dimensionless coating thus enabling miniaturization of components and devices in the field of electronic implants. Antibacterial function together with excellent barrier properties and outstanding corrosion resistance pave the way for using the materials both in electronic and orthopedic implants and show high potential in pharmaceutical packaging. The superior film uniformity and conformality ensure a pinhole-free coverage over even the smallest details of the device.

“The demonstrated results show the undisputable opportunities ALD offers to the medical sector already today. While the basic surgical principles and technologies have remained the same for decades, now ALD enables unforeseen applications potentially improving patient safety and cost-effectiveness by extending implant durability and reducing adverse effects”, says Niku Oksala, professor of surgery at Tampere University and medical advisor for Picosun.

“Picosun’s Medical Materials Library targeted to the medical device manufacturer segment reflects the innovative spirit of the company. I’m really excited over the fact that we are able to flexibly design tailored encapsulations according to our customers’ needs. I’m especially proud of our medical customers and partners who are already in pre-clinical and clinical trials with their ALD coated devices”, says Juhani Taskinen, Vice President, Medical Business Area of Picosun Group.

More information:
Juhani Taskinen
Vice President, Medical Business Area, Picosun Group
Tel: +358 50 4066 957
Email: [email protected]
www.picosun.com

About Picosun
Picosun provides the most advanced ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) thin film coating solutions for global industries. Picosun’s ALD solutions enable technological leap into the future, with turn-key production processes and unmatched, pioneering expertise in the field – dating back to the invention of the technology itself. Today, PICOSUN® ALD equipment are in daily manufacturing use in numerous leading industries around the world. Picosun is based in Finland, with subsidiaries in Germany, USA, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China mainland and Taiwan, offices in India and France, and a world-wide sales and support network. Visit www.picosun.com.

• Read more about Medical technology companies to benefit from Picosun biocompatible materials

Company also announces opening of second office location in Chennai to accommodate growth in India

CHENNAI, India, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) today announced the opening of two important facilities in Chennai, India, supporting the company's investment in innovative research and talent development. KLA's Artificial Intelligence-Advanced Computing Lab (AI-ACL)—operated in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras—will serve as a center of excellence for AI-focused research and development. In addition, a new office space in Chennai expands KLA's existing business operations as the company continues to grow and hire from the region.

KLA, a Fortune 500 company with 12,000+ global employees, is a leading supplier of process control and process enabling solutions for the global semiconductor and electronics industry. At KLA India, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that improve the performance of KLA's process control products and facilitate customer success. KLA's new state-of-the-art, high-tech research and development center serves as a cultural and collaboration hub for the engineering teams.

"KLA is at the forefront of using AI technology in our process control systems to identify and isolate critical issues in chip manufacturing," stated Ahmad Khan, president, semiconductor process control at KLA. "To expand the reach of AI in our products and develop the next generation of AI innovations, we created our new AI-ACL research facility. Our researchers and engineers at AI-ACL join the AI experts at our AI Modeling and Center of Excellence in Michigan to form a global team committed to advancing the boundaries of AI, software, image processing and physics modeling."

Officiating over the opening of both facilities, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthy, Director of IIT Madras said, "KLA and IIT Madras have been collaborating for over 15 years. We look forward to an expanded collaboration with KLA in AI, advanced parallel computing, and quantum computing research for applications in the semiconductor inspection and metrology domain. The IIT Madras Research Park ecosystem is a perfect enabler for such an industry with academic collaboration that is bringing together our resident experts, top student researchers and industry's best minds. I also congratulate KLA on the grand opening of its new office in RMZ Millenia-II today."

Beyond expanding business in India, KLA prioritizes making a positive impact on the local community. In May, KLA created a $550,000 India pandemic relief fund to aid healthcare facilities in procuring critically-needed equipment in the fight against Covid-19. The donation also supports a long-term investment to expand ICU capacity in regional hospitals and better address the needs of under-privileged communities.

Those interested in careers with KLA India may find more information at www.kla.com/careers/locations/India.

About KLA:

KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward. Additional information may be found at www.kla.com.

• Read more about KLA Corporation Opens New Artificial Intelligence-Advanced Computing Lab at Indian Institute of Technology Madras Research Park

Report highlights female engineers are passionate about engineering despite barriers to entering the field;
KLA Corporation’s new Engineering Inspiration Report showcases motivators, passions and challenges to entering the engineering field

MILPITAS, Calif., October 26, 2021 - KLA Corporation (NASDAQ: KLAC) today announced the KLA Engineering Inspiration Report, a new multi-regional research that shows engineers are extremely passionate about possibilities that the field provides. The inaugural report notes roughly two-thirds (65%) of engineers and students indicate they entered the field to create something that might change people’s lives.

Overall, nearly two-thirds of engineers (64%) indicate they are just as, if not more, passionate than they were when they entered the field. While there is no statistical difference in those numbers (women: 61% and men: 64%), women are faced with additional challenges such as the lack of family engineering role models and a later introduction to the engineering career path than their male counterparts. Further, 59% of female engineers say they were challenged in that STEM was not considered an appropriate field for women when they were on the path to engineering. The data speaks to the perseverance of women in engineering to continue in a career with a high level of passion despite the barriers they faced along the way.

The KLA Engineering Inspiration Report reveals the motivations, inspirations and major challenges on the path to becoming an engineer. As the gap between the supply and demand of engineering talent across industry sectors has increased, KLA found it critical to better understand the unique needs of those who choose the career path to encourage a more diverse set of people to explore the engineering profession. To gain insights, KLA commissioned the survey of both students and engineers in five regions which include the U.S., the U.K., China, Taiwan and Israel to assess their feelings, the drivers behind success and the barriers to entry that we need to work together to overcome.

On the launch of the report, KLA’s Chief Executive Officer and President Rick Wallace commented, “The insights gleaned from the Engineering Inspiration Report offer the opportunity for us to customize the KLA workplace experience, not only for our existing engineers but also those of the next generation. Part of our vision at KLA is ‘the future is ours to create,’ and engineers are critical to making that a reality and bringing cutting-edge innovations to life. It is up to us to ensure that we are creating an inspirational, stimulating and inclusive environment for them to work.”

Engineers want to make an impact

When first introduced to engineering, around two-thirds of engineers and students were highly motivated by the ability to solve problems (68%), the chance to create something that might change people’s lives (65%) and the opportunity to bring the future to today (65%). In addition, half (50%) of engineers and students indicate they have been inspired by sustainability issues, such as climate change, overpopulation and major natural disasters, and 39% by social concerns such as social disparities and disparities of resources.

In Taiwan, seven in 10 (70%) engineers and students say the digital revolution, such as the emergence and adoption of AI, machine learning and other technologies, drew them to the field—which is over 20 percentage points higher than the multi-regional average (49%).
When looking for careers in engineering, students and engineers similarly indicate that salary is important but so are the opportunities for career growth and other life benefits such as sabbaticals, new parent programs, financial planning support and time off to volunteer. Outside of work, engineers and students turn to music (29%), exercise (28%) and nature (28%) to draw inspiration for their day-to-day work—possibly further indicating the need for a package deal when choosing an employer.
Women on the engineering career path are determined and perseverant

Women in engineering want change. More than half (54%) of female engineers and students say they were motivated by the chance to break the glass ceiling when first introduced to engineering.

One of the biggest challenges is when and how women are introduced to engineering as a career. Nearly half (44%) of all engineers and students indicate they were first introduced to the engineering field by family or friends. Yet, when looking by gender, only 9% of female students report a parent introduced them to the field (vs. 17% of male students), and only one-third (35%) of female students report they were motivated by the chance to follow in the footsteps of a parent or family member (vs. 50% of male students).

Further, when asked when they began considering engineering as a career path, male students are more likely to say high school, while female students indicate undergrad.

Engineering degrees can be costly and time consuming, yet may not be teaching all the right skills

Across all regions, engineers cite common challenges to entering the field, with the stress of needing to achieve academic excellence, the time it takes to become an engineer and the cost of education as the top challenges. Though in some regions, like Israel and Taiwan, the challenges are more prevalent. When thinking about why more people do not chose engineering as a career path, half (50%) of students and engineers in Israel point to the stress of needing to achieve academic excellence as a barrier to pursuing the career (multi-regional average: 36%). More than half (56%) of students and engineers in Taiwan say the time it takes to become an engineer is a top reason why more people do not consider the field (multi-regional average: 40%).

Beyond the education required, professional engineers indicate a gap between the skills they were taught in school and the skills required to be successful in their career. Engineers rank teamwork, time management and project management among the top skills required for success, yet more than half (52%, 63% and 60%, respectively) of students say those skills are not being taught in their current programs.

The passion is high and so are opportunities

Almost all students and engineers indicate they are highly passionate about the chance to join the field and, in turn, would recommend their career to others. 86% of students say they are very passionate about the opportunity to become an engineer, and 82% of engineers say they would recommend becoming an engineer to someone they know.

These results are even higher in certain regions. For instance, 94% of U.K. students say they are very passionate about the opportunity to become an engineer, and nearly nine in 10 U.K. engineers (88%) and Chinese engineers (88%) say they would recommend becoming an engineer to someone they know.

Additional Resources

For more details about the KLA Engineering Inspiration Report and to hear stories from KLA engineers about why they became an engineer, please visit www.kla.com/EngineeringInspiration.

Methodology

In partnership with IPSOS, a global business and consumer research services organization, a survey was fielded from June 4 – July 29, 2021 in five regions (the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan and Israel) in their native language. The survey sample included 1,083 students and 2,278 engineers, using an online methodology with a varied sample per market and per audience.

About KLA

KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward. Additional information may be found at www.kla.com (KLAC-F).

• Read more about Two-thirds of engineers entered the career to change people’s lives, according to new KLA research