PLASMA-THERM STRENGTHENS PRESENCE IN EUROPE TO COLLABORATE WITH CUSTOMERS ON NEW MICROELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT

SEMICON Europa, Munich, Germany, November 15, 2022—Plasma-Therm, a leading manufacturer of plasma-process equipment for the semiconductor and compound semiconductor markets, today announced its Grenoble location will serve as regional headquarters to support customers located in central Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMEA) markets focused on developing power, wireless, memory, sensor and MEMS, and other advanced microelectronic devices. The company’s European facility, equipped with advanced R&D, manufacturing and demo cleanrooms, is poised to support new application and product development with strategic customers and partners in the region.

Plasma-Therm’s emphasis on process solutions and customer satisfaction has resulted in the recent award of multiple orders for its newly redesigned Heatpulse rapid thermal processing (RTP) platform (launched earlier this year), on target to ship to two major European customers next month. Heatpulse RTP was selected for its new, best-in-class control system software, upgraded robotics and ability to accommodate a variety of substrates up to 200mm, including silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide and other compound materials. The new system design helps existing Heatpulse customers mitigate any supply chain and obsolescence issues with their current systems. Remanufacturing options for legacy systems are also available.

“Increasing our presence in Europe is part of our long-term strategic growth plan to provide a premier client experience and customized technology processing solutions for customers in the region,” said Jim Garstka, vice president of sales and business development for Plasma-Therm. “We anticipate EMEA will continue to be a high-growth market for us, driven by demand for advanced compound semiconductor and silicon devices used in automotive, wireless, IoT, AR/VR and other end-use applications.”

“Being able to quickly deploy our highly specialized engineering, sales and support teams and offer flexible solutions helps our customers achieve faster time to market for their devices,” said Yannick Pilloux, Plasma-Therm’s executive sales manager, EMEA. “We expect our new Heatpulse system will continue to see market traction with improved reliability and performance, as well as assurance of readily available spare parts and maximum tool uptime in the fab.”

About Heatpulse RTP

The newly redesigned Heatpulse RTP platform processes substrates up to 200mm in diameter for a wide variety of materials, including silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, and other compound semiconductors. Offering greater flexibility to accommodate multiple wafer sizes, the new platform features upgraded robotics and Plasma-Therm’s Cortex^® best-in-class process control and monitoring software. The company also offers easily implemented conversion kits to upgrade currently installed systems, eliminating complicated hardware changes to ensure full compatibility with existing processes. For more information on Heatpulse RTP system offerings, please visit our website https://plasmatherm.com/Heatpulse-RTP.html.

About Cortex Process Control Software

Cortex is Plasma-Therm’s core advanced process control software offering a seamless, intuitive user interface for process development, operations, and maintenance across all etch, deposition, RTP and plasma-dicing product lines. The software enables increased tool reliability and optimization with the ability to develop and maintain process recipes, safe and secure maintenance and real-time data analysis for performance fine-tuning and repeatability. Cortex also features integrated endpoint detection for tighter process control utilizing laser interferometry for precise rate determination as well as optical emission spectrometry. All Cortex systems provide secure remote access for diagnostics and process support.

Plasma-Therm at SEMICON Europa 2022

Plasma-Therm is exhibiting at SEMICON Europa in Munich, Germany, November 15-18, 2022. To learn more about the company’s new Heatpulse RTP platform and other etch, deposition and plasma-dicing offerings, please visit booth C1755 at the show. To arrange a product demonstration with a sales representative or technologist, please email info@plasmatherm.com.

About Plasma-Therm

Plasma-Therm is a global manufacturer of advanced plasma processing equipment. Its tools and processes are used to support manufacturing needs in etch, deposition, rapid thermal processing, and plasma-dicing technologies. The company serves the semiconductor and compound semiconductor industries in developing solutions for the wireless, power device, MEMS, photonics, advanced packaging, and data storage markets. With locations in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Plasma-Therm meets the diverse needs of its customers with exceptional customer service. To learn more, visit www.plasmatherm.com.