July 17, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ — NEWPORT, U.K. — Surface Technology Systems plc (STS) today announced that it has sold a VPX Pegasus system to Semefab, a Scottish-based semiconductor company that specializes in the design and manufacture of silicon IC and MEMS devices.
Semefab, established in 1986, hosts a GBP15 million “open access” center offering companies from the U.K. and overseas access to a fully integrated micro- and nanotechnology capability, from product design and prototyping to product development and testing. The center is a key part of the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry’s GBP90m Micro and Nanotechnology Manufacturing Initiative launched by science minister Lord Sainsbury in 2003, and is designed to provide a platform to bridge the gap between prototyping and production.
The VPX Pegasus tool provides a production-proven cluster platform twinned with the Pegasus plasma source, which offers higher silicon etch rates and cross-wafer uniformity than conventional de-coupled plasma sources — important factors in increasing throughput and device yield in volume production.
Ian McNaught, MEMS business manager of Semefab, explains, “We chose the VPX Pegasus to provide us with a market-leading system to demonstrate a wide range of silicon MEMS devices developed by our customers, and also offer an effective foundry service. The Pegasus’ high etch rate and the willingness of STS to work closely with the Semefab team are key factors that shall allow Semefab to offer our customers high-quality, cost-effective process development and fabrication.”
John Saunders, CEO of Surface Technology Systems plc, states, “We are very happy to have this opportunity to work with Semefab to enhance the U.K.’s presence in micro- and nanotechnology. We will continue to provide world-class wafer processing capability for these exciting applications to all our customers across Europe, America, and Asia.”
About Surface Technology Systems plc
STS designs and manufactures a range of highly specialized systems incorporating innovative technology used in the production of semiconductors and related devices and is a leader in plasma-based etch and deposition technologies for processing non-“mainstream” semiconductor devices. STS serves a range of applications in several emerging sectors within the telecommunications, data storage, advanced packaging, MEMS, and nanotechnology. STS is the market leader in deep silicon etching for the growing MEMS market, offering patent-protected technology. In addition, STS has a strong presence in each of its other served markets and distributes its process solutions worldwide through an experienced sales and service operation. The Group currently markets in over 30 countries and has an installed base of over 900 systems. For more information about STS please see http://www.stsystems.com/
About Semefab
Semefab is a wafer fabrication foundry with a long and successful history, and is presently investing in both a fab expansion and new fab build to fulfil its role as the U.K. nanotechnology wafer fab node. The expanded fab 2, and the new build fab 3, are dedicated to MEMS and nanotechnology devices. The selection of best in class systems such as Pegasus will enable device companies to work with Semefab to achieve leading technical and financial performance when fabricating their products. Semefab is a member of the Semelab Group, which offers a complementary range of products and services to the electronics industry. For more information please see http://www.semefab.co.uk/
Source: Surface Technology Systems plc (STS)