New platform delivers ALD film quality at production throughput for Wide Bandgap and other specialty device manufacturing

Espoo, Finland, November 19, 2025 – Beneq, a global leader in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment and solutions, today announced Beneq Transmute™, a next-generation ALD platform designed for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. Engineered for high volume production of Wide Bandgap (WBG) power electronics, advanced RF devices, μLED and other specialty devices, Beneq Transmute™ combines performance, scalability, and cost efficiency in one system.

Atomic precision at manufacturing speed

Beneq Transmute™ extends the performance of the Beneq Transform® XP platform into production environments with Beneq’s proprietary 3-step ALD architecture. By combining plasma pre-treatment, plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD), and thermal batch ALD, the platform delivers conformal, high-performance dielectric stacks with atomic-level interface control – now at high throughput.

Its flow-uniform 25-wafer chambers, paired with advanced precursor dosing technology, enable rapid cycle times, optimized wafer coverage, and reduced precursor waste – resulting in a low cost of ownership across a broad range of semiconductor applications.

“Beneq Transmute™ represents a major leap forward in making ALD a truly high-volume manufacturing solution,” said Lucas Monteiro, Head of Product at Beneq. “By combining the precision of ALD with throughput and scalability that match production demands, we are giving our customers the ability to produce next-generation Wide Bandgap and RF devices at high throughput and low cost of ownership – with the uncompromised film quality that Beneq is known for.”

Designed for dedicated production requirements

Beneq Transmute™ supports both thermal and plasma-enhanced ALD within a modular cluster architecture that enables dedicated configurations. With up to two transfer chambers and eleven process module slots – including PEALD, Thermal, Buffer, and Preheater – each system can be tailored to match specific customer applications and fab roadmaps while ensuring long-term scalability.

Enabling the next wave of electronics

Beneq Transmute™ directly supports key semiconductor market trends – including the electrification of transport, adoption of renewable energy, 5G and RF communications, data centers and next-generation displays. Its combination of atomic precision and production throughput positions Beneq as a technology enabler for a more efficient, connected, and sustainable future.

About Beneq

Beneq pioneered industrial Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) with the introduction of the first commercial ALD equipment in 1984. Today, Beneq advances ALD technology adoption and validation with a portfolio that includes Transform®, Transform® 300, and Prodigy™ for specialty semiconductor device fabrication; TFS 200 and TFS 500 for R&D; and innovative spatial ALD platforms such as the C2R™ and Genesis for rolltoroll processing. Beneq’s systems support process innovation from lab to fab, enabling integration of ALD in advanced manufacturing. Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Beneq operates globally to help customers scale ALD solutions for the future of semiconductors, optics, and functional coatings.

Press Contact:
Charlotte Bärlund
Event and Communications Lead
[email protected]

• Read more about Beneq Unveils Beneq Transmute™ – High-Throughput ALD for Power, RF, and μLED Device Production

New SECS-II library helps fabs and OEMs integrate semiconductor tools with the MES in hybrid manufacturing sites, ensuring faster time to market and limiting integration costs

MUNICH, November 18, 2025 – Agileo Automation, a leading provider of control and connectivity solutions for global semiconductor manufacturing, today unveils Agil’SECS-II at Booth #C2518 at SEMICON Europa 2025. This new SECS-II library, featuring built-in SEMI standard communication, enables a manufacturing execution system (MES) to accelerate the integration and validation of hybrid semiconductor and traditional manufacturing tools on production lines, ensuring faster time to market, lower integration costs, and reduced deployment risks. With this connection gateway, users can send and receive any SEMI SECS-II-compliant message as host or equipment for full GEM and GEM300 equipment integration and validation. This product can prove valuable for a variety of customers:

• Pure semiconductor original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that need a practical way to develop an MES simulator and exercise their equipment under fab-like conditions. For small production lines or multi-tool set-ups exchanging data through SECS/GEM, Agil’SECS-II allows OEMs to design, test, and validate their equipment efficiently before shipping it to fabs.

• Customized, multi-industry, or low-volume production sites that use an MES system to integrate both traditional production machines and semiconductor tools. Agil’SECS-II simplifies integration in mixed equipment environments, especially where the MES cannot use SECS/GEM because most tools rely on protocols such as OPC UA, Modbus, or MQTT, yet semiconductor equipment using SECS/GEM must be integrated within the same MES.

• Laboratories and pilot lines without a full-featured MES that require a driver to collect data from various types of manufacturing equipment, including process, inspection, and metrology tools, to ensure quality and process control as well as complete traceability.

“With Agil’SECS-II, we wanted to provide a flexible tool that can serve multiple types of customers who can benefit from a proven software foundation built on more than 15 years of deployment experience in semiconductor fabs worldwide,” explains Marc Engel, chief executive officer of Agileo Automation. “Our SECS-II driver is especially useful for validating the processes of hybrid fabs that combine semiconductor and non-semiconductor manufacturing equipment, such as silicon carbide (SiC) wafer production lines or advanced packaging lines. It enables product and process traceability with legacy MES and helps OEMs developing equipment for these lines create MES simulators to verify information flow between tools using heterogeneous communication protocols.”

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About Agileo Automation
Agileo Automation is a trusted partner for equipment manufacturers, helping them build smarter, automated, and more connected machines that integrate seamlessly into advanced semiconductor fabs. Founded in 2010 in Poitiers, France, Agileo Automation helps OEMs optimize control, communication, data acquisition, and testing across their tools through proven software frameworks, applications, and expert support. Its flagship A²ECF-SEMI framework provides a solid foundation for developing equipment controllers fully aligned with SEMI SECS/GEM, GEM300, and EDA standards. As an active member of SEMI and the OPC Foundation, Agileo Automation contributes directly to shaping the standards that drive Industry 4.0 manufacturing. For more information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

• Read more about Agileo Automation Launches Agil’SECS-II to Enable Semiconductor OEMs, Multi-Industry Fabs, and Labs to Accelerate Equipment Integration on Production Lines

RENA Technologies marks a new milestone in the semiconductor industry with the launch of Vanguard, a state-of-the-art, fully automated single-wafer platform designed for wet chemical cleaning, etching, and drying of 200mm and 300mm wafers. Engineered for performance, efficiency, and scalability, Vanguard offers new possibilities for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Broaden the Possibilities in Wafer Wet Processing

Vanguard is purpose-built to address the rising demands of next-generation semiconductor substrates and materials. Supporting 4 to 8 independent processing chambers within a compact footprint, the system delivers high throughput without compromising cleanroom space. Its advanced chemical cleaning and double-sided processing—handling up to five distinct chemistries—minimizes contamination, substrate damage, and defects, ensuring wafers meet the stringent yield and quality requirements of cutting-edge chip manufacturing.

"With the launch of our new semiconductor wet processing platform, we are entering a new aera in precision, efficiency, and reliability for advanced chip manufacturing. This machine embodies our commitment to innovation—delivering not only superior process control but also the flexibility our customers need to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. It represents a decisive step in enabling the next generation of semiconductor technologies for both high-volume manufacturing lines and R&D fabs." Emphasizes Peter Schneidewind, CEO of RENA Technologies.

Scalable, Modular Design 

Vanguard’s modular architecture grows with customer needs. Fabs can easily adjust chamber count and process configurations to match evolving requirements, from R&D to high-volume production.
The platform integrates internal chemistry preparation for precise formulation control, ensuring consistent process delivery and minimizing chemical consumption. This reduces operating costs and environmental impact—key considerations for sustainable fabs.

Serviceability is also built-in: each chamber operates independently, allowing maintenance without halting production. Combined with AI-assisted process control, and the digital service platform RENA Connect Hub, customers gain maximum uptime and efficiency.

Next-Level Automation and Compatibility

With its digital twin simulation, customers can model system integration, test interfaces, and even simulate throughput with real process data—well before installation. Training and upgrades can be conducted seamlessly during live production.

Fully GEM300 compatible, Vanguard is integration-ready from day one. Operating within a Class 1 mini environment, it guarantees ultra-clean wafer handling, while its advanced drying ensures residue-free, pristine surfaces for downstream processing.

Key Features at a Glance

• Fully automated wet processing for 200mm / 300mm wafers
• Scalable from 4 to 8 single-wafer chambers
• Double-sided cleaning with up to 5 chemicals
• Internal chemistry preparation system
• AI-assisted software with predictive maintenance
• Advanced drying technology
• Class 1 mini environment for ultra-clean operation
• Compact footprint with high-throughput capability
• GEM300 factory-integration ready
• Low chemical usage for reduced cost and environmental impact 

Availability

Vanguard is officially available as of today. Semiconductor fabs and foundries seeking to modernize their wet processing capabilities now have access to a solution that combines performance, scalability, and sustainability—delivered today for the challenges of tomorrow.

• Read more about Introducing Vanguard: The New Single-Wafer Cleaning and Etching Tool from RENA Technologies

OXFORD INSTRUMENTS PROVIDES COHERENT WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART, FULLY AUTOMATED PROCESSING EQUIPMENT, FOR 6” INP WAFER MANUFACTURING, ENABLING NEXT GENERATION AI APPLICATIONS

Oxford Instruments (OXIG), a leading provider of advanced plasma processing solutions for the compound semiconductor industry, announces the key role it is playing to support the industry’s first fully automated 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafer fabrication capability for photonic devices, led by Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in compound semiconductors and high-performance optical networking solutions.

Oxford Instruments’ cutting-edge plasma processing equipment is central to Coherent’s groundbreaking achievement of ramping up 6-inch InP fabs in Sherman, Texas, and Järfälla, Sweden. These fabs will play a pivotal role in driving advancements in AI datacentre, telecommunications, and sensing applications. Coherent’s transition to 6-inch wafers is set to deliver significant benefits, including a substantial increase in capacity, lower die cost and more than four times the number of devices per wafer.

Oxford Instruments has supplied fully automated, high-throughput 6-inch InP processing equipment, enabling Coherent to achieve these remarkable productivity gains. This advanced equipment is designed to support the transition from 800G to 1.6T products, a key requirement to meet the growing demands of AI interconnects and optical communications.

“We have been the leading supplier of InP plasma etch equipment to the datacom market, and Coherent, for many years. Our technology, with the quality, throughput and reliability that we have developed alongside excellent service, is ideally positioned to support the current device demand inflection we are seeing with the release of generative AI applications. We are delighted to be partnering with Coherent during this exciting period of market expansion and look forward to continuing to develop and release innovative and valuable plasma processing solutions.” Matt Kelly, Managing Director, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology.

"Coherent’s move to 6-inch InP wafer fabrication marks a transformative milestone for the industry. Oxford Instruments’ expertise in plasma processing has been essential in enabling our Sherman and Järfälla fabs to reach world-class performance,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President – Semiconductor Devices at Coherent. “Together, we are advancing InP technology to support faster networks, greater efficiency, and the new applications that will define the future of connectivity."

The joint efforts of Oxford Instruments and Coherent have culminated in a manufacturing platform that sets the stage for the next generation of InP optoelectronic devices. These devices are critical enablers for applications ranging from AI datacentres and datacom transceivers to advanced sensing in consumer electronics and automotive technologies.

• Read more about Enabling AI with Fully Automated Equipment for 6” InP Wafer Processing

• Read more about ElevATE Semiconductor Expands Global Presence with New Office in Hsinchu, Taiwan

Nijmegen, October 20, 2025 – Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC) will become part of TNO. This strategic move marks a significant step toward ensuring the long-term continuity and stability of CITC’s research and operations. The integration emphasizes TNO’s ambition to take a leading position in the innovation of chip packaging technologies and strengthen the regional semiconductor ecosystem in Nijmegen.

“In the coming years, TNO aims to play a key role in the development of advanced chip packaging in the Netherlands,” says Arnaud de Jong, director of High Tech Industry at TNO. “By integrating CITC into TNO, we can intensify and expand our research efforts. We also contribute to the further development of Lifeport in Nijmegen as a strong, future-proof semiconductor ecosystem.” With the investment in CITC, TNO connects chip technology activities between Nijmegen and other semiconductor hubs such as Eindhoven.

Advanced chip packaging
CITC was founded in 2019 by TNO and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), among others, as an independent innovation center for advanced chip packaging technology. Within an ecosystem of companies, research institutions and educational organizations, CITC has developed into a broad R&D hub that collaborates on technological breakthroughs in advanced chip packaging.

“CITC’s integration into TNO marks a noteworthy moment for CITC. This step underscores our shared vision for the future of chip integration and packaging technology,” says Jeroen van den Brand, general manager of CITC in Nijmegen. “This provides room for growth, accelerates innovation, and strengthens CITC’s international position as a center of expertise for chip packaging.”

Strategic choice for Nijmegen
CITC’s integration into TNO will formally take effect on January 1, 2026. CITC will become part of TNO’s High Tech Industry business unit and will remain located at the Noviotech Campus in Nijmegen. Toni Versluijs, chairman of the CITC Supervisory Board: “CITC continues on its current course. For the Supervisory Board, it is essential that, with TNO’s ambition and investment, we secure continuation of the CITC activities, while building on the existing talent and technology and give CITC room to grow further.”

Lucas van Vliet, member of the CITC Supervisory Board on behalf of TU Delft: “The collaboration between TU Delft and TNO within CITC will change form as of January 1 but remains as strong as ever. TU Delft believes in the importance and growth potential of chip packaging and sees incorporating CITC into a strong organization like TNO as an opportunity to further accelerate innovation in chip technology.”

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About CITC
CITC is a non-profit, joint innovation center specializing in heterogeneous integration and advanced chip packaging technology. With the aim of bridging the gap between academia and industry, CITC has created an effective ecosystem where companies, research and educational institutions collaborate. CITC was founded in 2019 with strategic partners TNO and Delft University of Technology and is supported by the province of Gelderland and Nijmegen municipality. Located on Noviotech Campus Nijmegen, CITC is perfectly situated in the heart of the Dutch semiconductor industry.
www.citc.org

About TNO
TNO is the largest independent research and technology organization in the Netherlands and one of the largest in the EU. We innovate, investigate, and orchestrate, collaborating closely with governments, universities and the private sector. We inform government on policies and empower evidence-based decision-making through rigorous investigations, cutting-edge scientific insights, and reliable measurements. By building national and international consortia and ecosystems, we drive technological and methodological breakthroughs that help to realise a secure, sustainable, healthy, and digital society, and strengthen the earning power of the Dutch economy.
www.tno.nl/en/

Contact
Christian Ketelaars, Communications Manager
E [email protected]
M +31 (0)6 48 15 42 92

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Breker Donates Advanced Test Suite Components to RISC-V International for Use in Future Compliance Activities

• Donation includes open-source system integrity tests for core and SoC certification
• Unique Breker tests complements existing test sets
• Breker’s RISC-V SystemVIP will be demonstrated at booth #P4 during RISC-V Summit North America 2025

SAN JOSE, CALIF. –– October 16, 2025––Breker Verification Systems today announced a donation to RISC-V International of a subset of its RISC-V advanced test suite developed through its work with more than 20 RISC-V core producers.

The donation is designed to be complementary to the existing Architectural Compliance Test (ACT) and ongoing ISA compliance activities, consisting of unique tests not available from other sources.

Breker provides test suites for the complete verification of RISC-V cores and SoCs from detailed microarchitectural analysis to advanced system integrity validation. The radonation will consist of a subset of these tests to target ISA compliance. The test donation will cover both core and SoC certification and will include, but is not limited to, coherency, hypervisor, vectors, advanced interrupt architecture, IOMMU and other scenarios. Each component is designed to complement existing tests.

“Breker is now working with over 20 commercial entities and other organizations to verify their RISC-V cores, providing us with unique experience of the myriad of unusual verification issues inherent in these processors,” says David Kelf, Breker’s CEO. “We are giving back to the RISC-V community by providing a subset of these tests, open source, that can target ISA compliance and for other purposes.”

The announcement of the donation coincides with the RISC-V Summit North America Tuesday, October 21, through Thursday, October 23, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif. As a Platinum Sponsor, Breker will exhibit in Booth #P4 and offer five presentations as part of the RISC-V Summit program.

“At RISC-V International, we greatly value the expertise of the Breker team and the contributions they have made to ongoing ISA compliance work,” remarks Andrea Gallo, RISC-V International’s CEO. “I am looking forward to Breker’s donation and the impact it can have in complementing and extending our existing ACT test suites.”

Breker’s donation provides alignment with RISC-V International programs. This will provide value to the company’s customers, as well as the RISC-V designer community, by aligning Breker’s full RISC-V verification test suite with RISC-V test developments.

In addition to existing test suites and generators, which are focused on random instruction generation for instruction set architecture testing, with SystemVIPs, Breker has been able to significantly extend testing to advanced system-level integrity. Using test suite synthesis technology, Breker is able to provide a high degree of coverage by driving cross functional stress verification and unpredictable corner case discovery. The donation will include tests generated using test suite synthesis.

David Kelf and Adnan Hamid, Breker’s Executive President and CTO, were elected Chairperson of the Requirements Working Group and Vice-Chairperson of the Test Plan Working Group, respectively, in the RISC-V International Certification Steering Committee.

Breker at RISC-V Summit North America 2025
Breker will demonstrate its RISC-V CoreAssurance and SoCReady SystemVIPs and Trek Test Suite Synthesis solutions at RISC-V Summit North America, Tuesday, October 21 through Thursday, October 23, at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Presentations featuring Breker executives include:
Member Day: “Framework for RISCV Certification—Software, Hardware and Systems”
Nambi Ju, Lyle Technologies, LLP
Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Grand Ballroom H (Level 1)

Demo: “RISC-V AIA Expanding Interrupts: Applications, Implementation and Verification”
Adnan Hamid
Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Exhibit Hall A, Demo Theater

“RISC-V System Level Certification from Verification Foundations”
Adnan Hamid
Wednesday at 3:15 p.m.
Theater (Level 2)

Lightning Round: “Leveraging AI to understand the RISC-V ISA Specification”
Dave Kelf and Nambi Ju
Wednesday at 4:15 p.m.

“Unleashing ML Processing Power Through RISC-V Vectors: Applications, Implementation and Verification”
Brian Baker, Solutions Architect
Thursday at 2:35 p.m.
Grand Ballroom G (Level 1)

To arrange a demonstration or private meeting, send email to [email protected].

About Breker Verification Systems
Breker Verification Systems solves complex semiconductor challenges across the functional verification process from streamlining UVM-based testbench composition to execution for IP block verification, significantly enhancing SoC integration and firmware verification with automated solutions that provide test content portability and reuse. Breker’s solutions include a SystemVIP library of scenarios for RISC-V and Arm, core and SoC testing, coherency, security and other critical areas. Breker solutions easily layer into existing environments and operate across simulation, emulation, prototyping, and post-silicon execution platforms. Its Trek family is production-proven at leading semiconductor companies worldwide and enables design managers and verification engineers to realize measurable productivity gains, speed coverage closure and easy verification knowledge reuse. As a leader in the development of the Accellera Portable Stimulus Standard (PSS), privately held Breker has a reputation for dramatically reducing verification schedules in advanced development environments. Case studies that feature Analog Devices, Broadcom, IBM and other companies leveraging Breker’s solutions are available on the Breker website.

Engage with Breker at:
Website: www.brekersystems.com
Twitter: @BrekerSystems
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breker-verification-systems/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrekerSystems/

TrekSoC, TrekSoC-Si, RISC-V CoreAssurance SystemVIP and RISC-V SoCReady SystemVIP are registered trademarks of Breker Verification Systems. Breker Verification Systems acknowledges trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products.

• Read more about Breker Donates Advanced Test Suite Components to RISC-V International for Use in Future Compliance Activities