MARCH 15– Allentown, Penn.–Akrion LLC, a supplier of wet-process batch systems for cleaning semiconductor wafers, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Goldfinger Technologies, LLC has acquired the technology and selected assets of Verteq, Inc., a manufacturer of single-wafer wet-process tools, wafer-cleaning megasonics and spin dryers based in Santa Ana, Calif.

In addition to expanding Akrion’s technology portfolio, this acquisition marks the company’s entry into the global market for single-wafer systems with Verteq’s established Goldfinger product line. The market for single-wafer, wet-cleaning equipment has been projected to more than double from 2003 to 2005, with worldwide sales forecast to exceed $342 million by 2005, according to Gartner Dataquest.

Adding single-wafer technology will allow Akrion to expand its ability to meet market demands. Single-wafer cleaning is particularly important for certain back-end-of-line applications, such as post-metal cleaning. The Goldfinger system removes residue from advanced semiconductor devices with design rules below 130 nanometer without damaging gate stacks, bit lines or vulnerable thin films.