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Oxford Instruments, a leading provider of advanced plasma processing solutions, today announced a plasma equipment supply agreement with Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) (Nasdaq: AAOI), a leading provider of advanced optical and hybrid fibre-coaxial networking products that power the internet, for several etch and deposition cluster systems at their facility in Sugar Land, Texas.

The agreement will support AOI’s transformative expansion and technological advancements in indium phosphide (InP) for optoelectronic device manufacturing, as the company rapidly scales to increase production capacity within the U.S.

As AOI undergoes a significant growth phase, the company is upgrading its production capabilities to meet increasing demand for high-performance InP optoelectronic devices. Oxford Instruments’ advanced plasma etch and deposition processing systems will play a key role in this transformation by supporting AOI with fully automated 3-4-6-inch capable production systems for InP processes.

“AOI is expanding its U.S. manufacturing capacity in Texas to support demand for our optical transceivers in AI datacentres, and key suppliers like Oxford Instruments will help us continue to upgrade our fully automated production line,” said Fred Chang, Senior Vice President and North American General Manager at AOI. “With our combined technology, we can speed the processing of multiple wafer sizes, ranging from 3 to 6 inches, while improving overall quality and reducing costs.”

“AOI has been a valued long-term partner, and we are thrilled to have earned their trust as the chosen supplier for their production expansion and technology upgrades. Our unique high-temperature Electrostatic Chuck (ESC) design, which enables advanced processing capabilities, was a key factor in their decision. AOI also conducted an extensive vendor qualification process, including a visit to our brand-new purpose-built manufacturing facility in Bristol, UK, where we received high praise for our technology and production capabilities,” said Emiel Thijssen, Vice President of Sales and Business Development USA, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology. “We are also investing significantly to ensure we continue to deliver world-class service capability in the Texas region, focusing on the availability of spares and expanding our field service and process engineering teams, to support the rapid expansion of leading manufacturers in the region such as AOI.”

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For media enquiries, please contact:
Grant Baldwin, Head of Marketing
Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology
E: [email protected]
About Oxford Instruments plc
Oxford Instruments provides academic and commercial organisations worldwide with market-leading scientific technology and expertise across its key market segments: Materials Analysis, Healthcare & Life Science and Semiconductors. Innovation is the driving force behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success, supporting its core purpose to accelerate the breakthroughs that create a brighter future for our world. The vigorous search for new ways to make our world greener, healthier and more productive is driving unprecedented levels of R&D investment in new materials and techniques to support productivity and decarbonisation worldwide, creating a significant opportunity for Oxford Instruments to grow.

Oxford Instruments holds a unique position to anticipate global drivers and connect academic researchers with commercial applications engineers, acting as a catalyst that powers real world progress. Founded in 1959 as the first technology business to be spun out from Oxford University, Oxford Instruments is now a global company listed on the FTSE250 index of the London Stock Exchange (OXIG).

For more information, visit www.oxinst.com

About AOI 
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products that are the building blocks for AI datacentres, CATV and broadband fibre access networks around the world. AOI supplies this critical infrastructure to tier-one customers across cloud computing, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. The company has R&D facilities in Atlanta, GA, and engineering and manufacturing facilities at its corporate headquarters in Sugar Land, TX, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com. 

• Read more about OXFORD INSTRUMENTS TEAMS WITH AOI TO BOOST ITS OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING WITH NEXT-GEN INDIUM PHOSPHIDE

Advancing Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography

Zurich, Switzerland — Following the successful introduction of the modular NanoFrazor nanolithography system in 2024, Heidelberg Instruments is proud to announce the installation of the newest NanoFrazor. The system is equipped with the recent modules, enabling parallelized thermal scanning probe lithography (t-SPL). The beta site is hosted by the research partner EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland. The installation marks a significant step forward in joint efforts to bring next-generation nanofabrication technologies into practice, promising advances in nanoscale research and applications.

Designed for high-resolution lithography down to 20 nm, with application flexibility and increased throughput, the system features parallelized t-SPL with ten heated tips writing simultaneously, Direct Laser Sublimation (DLS), and advanced automation. “Parallelizing t-SPL was the logical next step in advancing thermal nanolithography. The implementation, however, was far from trivial.” states Dr. Emine Cagin, CTO of Heidelberg Instruments Nano AG. “Parallelization required a decade of development, culminating in a new and scalable framework for electronics and software that now powers the new NanoFrazor.”

The new module, named the Decapede, increases the throughput up to tenfold, without compromising on high-resolution capabilities. “With improved throughput, we are considering upscaling grayscale nano surfaces that enable deterministic and localized strain engineering of 2D materials from chip-level to wafer-scale for potential industrial integration”, says Berke Erbas, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Microsystems Laboratory at EPFL. “We also aim to upscale grayscale nanoimprint lithography stamps fabricated through t-SPL and dry-etching approaches.”

EPFL — A Hub for Innovation
EPFL’s expertise in t-SPL and broad nanofabrication capabilities make it an ideal beta site and mark the continuation of a long-standing, trusted partnership with Heidelberg Instruments. The consortium of research groups involved brings together a combination of deep knowledge in t-SPL and diverse nanofabrication techniques, along with fresh ideas and challenging applications. The generous commitment to providing continuous feedback will help Heidelberg Instruments further validate the system performance and refine user interfaces.

From Nanoelectronics to Quantum Devices, a Look Ahead
The EPFL beta site is not only a testing and validation site for the system’s capabilities but first and foremost a catalyst for innovation in nanolithography. Applications at the EPFL beta site span nanoelectronics, plasmonics, quantum devices, and bio-nano-sensors. Jürgen Brugger, Professor in Microengineering and Materials Science at EPFL, highlights: “t-SPL has proven to be an excellent tool for educating junior researchers due to its capabilities for fast prototyping with a low threshold to create nano-patterns in short time scales. We are excited to expand towards parallel writing capabilities.” For example, the Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET), Professor Giulia Tagliabue, is exploring the use of its gray-scale functionalities for realizing advanced metasurfaces that can strongly confine light at nanoscale dimensions for energy conversion and probing of interfacial processes.

We are looking forward to seeing how the beta site will accelerate discoveries and enable new possibilities in nanoscale science, both in research and educational use of the NanoFrazor system.

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

• Read more about Heidelberg Instruments — Beta Site Installation of NanoFrazor with Parallelization Capabilities at EPFL

High-tech systems developer Demcon has established a local presence in North America by opening a new office in San Jose, California. The Dutch contract engineering company brings decades of expertise and know-how in hardware research, design and development to the heart of Silicon Valley, where software and AI are the main focus areas.

Hardware-centric development and engineering

The brand-new office will function as a local point of contact for US customers, delivering direct project management and system architecting support. The full Demcon engineering power in the Netherlands is available for early-phase concept development, engineering, prototyping and testing, with manufacturing as an optional service. Demcon has over 30 years of experience in systems engineering for high-tech solutions, in amongst others semiconductors, photonics and quantum technology.

Demcon’s capabilities range from fundamental and essential domains such as mechanics, mechatronics, software and electronics, to crucial additional competences in multiphysics simulation, thermal management, optics & vision, and data science & AI. "With our extensive group of engineers and specialists, we have the critical mass necessary to uphold an extremely high level in all these domains", says Amir Bar, general manager at Demcon USA. "For every customer project and every challenge they bring, we pick and choose the best possible team to find the optimal solution for our customers."

As a decades-long engineering professional in the American semiconductor industry, with leading roles at Applied Materials and KLA Tencor, Bar knows firsthand what Demcon has to offer: "With the focus on software and AI, there is a shortage in hardware engineers in the US. The Netherlands, home to some of the world’s leading hardware-centric semiconductor companies, have a much stronger base in that area. Through Demcon’s US office, American customers can tap into that potential."

Expanding horizons in the American market
For Demcon, the expansion in North America is very much a strategic decision. The company is already active in the US market for 20 years. "But we see ample room for growth", says Eric Slakhorst, Vice President Demcon high-tech systems. "The country is home to many potential large customers that prefer to keep their research and development close by. Often, they are challenged by time-to-market demands and capacity constraints. We set ourselves apart by offering the possibility to outsource part of their R&D, without the obligation to give away IP, and by our fast development cycle, from feasibility study to functional prototype in 12-15 months."

As our engineers are deeply embedded in the research process with our customers, proximity is key. "To ensure an optimal result, we need to be close, as regular face-to-face interaction is vital," says Slakhorst. "That’s why we are building an engineering hub in the US to support local partners with project management and system architecting. Detailed engineering can take place in the Netherlands."

• Read more about Demcon high-tech systems extends US presence with local office