Category Archives: LEDs

August 20, 2007 — Tegal Corp., designer and manufacturer of plasma etch and deposition systems used in the production of integrated circuits, MEMS, and nanotechnology devices, has received an order for a Tegal 915 batch etch system from a leading Japanese sensor and control system maker. The new Tegal 915 system will be used for photoresist strip applications in the customer’s 200mm microswitch fabrication line.

The Tegal 915 is one of Tegal’s series of diode and batch plasma etch systems. It is optimized for photoresist stripping, solar “coin stack” etching, and pad, zero layer, descum, non-selective nitride, backside, and planarization etching, for HB-LED, MEMS, Power Device, and Optoelectronic device fabrication. Its platforms can accommodate 75 mm to 200 mm round, square or rectangular substrates.

Billings dipped slightly from June to July, hitting $1.71B. The figure is 4% higher than the average billings in July 2006. Bookings fell 10% month-to-month and dropped 17% from July 2006. Orders booked in July totaled $1.44B. SEMI president and CEO Stanley T. Myers noted that strong equipment sales in the first half of 2007 have tapered off in June and July, leading to the lowered book-to-bill ratio.

(August 17, 2007) SILVER SPRING, MD &#151 Technologies and Devices International, Inc. (TDI), began producing indium-gallium-nitride (InGaN) substrates for packaging GaN-based high-brightness LEDs and blue and green laser diodes. The material’s crystal lattice and thermal properties are composed to match the given overgrown GaN device, which can reduce defects, improve device efficiency and output, and boost lifetime and power usage.

August 14, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ — VIENNA, VA — CEL-SCI Corporation announced today that it has entered into an agreement with a biomedical real estate group under which CEL-SCI acquires long term use of a dedicated manufacturing facility for its cancer drug Multikine(R). The financial value of this transaction to CEL-SCI is about $15 million. This facility is located near Baltimore, MD. Once fully built out to CEL-SCI’s specifications, the facility will produce Multikine for both its Phase III clinical trials for head and neck cancer, as well as other cancers, and following marketing approval, for sale. This transaction is of great importance to CEL-SCI because it allows the company to preserve its cash and, at the same time, pursue the development of its cancer drug in the most prudent manner.

BioRealty, Inc., a privately held real estate firm specializing in the biomedical sector, acquired the facility and is responsible for its build-out pursuant to CEL-SCI’s specifications. CEL-SCI leases the facility for 20 years, with options to extend the lease or purchase the facility at a later time. BioRealty, Inc. also committed to provide development management services and funding for the build-out of this facility, which, once fully built out, will be able to supply over $1 billion worth of drug. The company had entered into a letter of intent with BioRealty on this transaction in January 2007.

The manufacturing facility will allow the Company to produce Multikine, a biologic, in the same manufacturing facility for Phase III clinical trials as for commercial production. Regulatory authorities prefer to see biologics such as Multikine produced in the same manufacturing facility for Phase III clinical trials and the sale of the product because this arrangement helps to ensure that the drug lots used to conduct the clinical trials will be consistent with those that will be marketed subsequent to approval.

Although some biotech companies outsource their manufacturing, this can be risky with biologics because they require intense manufacturing and process control. With biologic products a minor change in manufacturing and process control can result in a major change in the final product. Good and consistent manufacturing and process control is critical and is best assured if the product is manufactured and controlled in the manufacturer’s own facility by their own specially trained personnel. In fact, there have been many situations in which companies had to repeat their Phase III trials or perform an additional clinical bridging study to address regulatory concerns resulting from outsourced manufacturing. This has led to enormous costs and lengthy delays in getting biotech drugs to market. In addition, using a contract manufacturer ties the company’s approval to the manufacturing facility of the contractor, further reducing the level of control by the company.

Geert Kersten, CEO of CEL-SCI, says, “Manufacturing biologics is such an expensive endeavor that most biotech companies partner with larger companies, and in the process give up their marketing rights. The funding with BioRealty, Inc. will allow us to keep the marketing rights, thereby giving our shareholders the greatest value creation. Now that the significant hurdle of manufacturing has been tackled, we are able to focus on getting Multikine through Phase III, and ultimately to patients.”

Stan Wendzel, managing director of BioRealty, Inc., says, “After having completed the due diligence on both CEL-SCI and its Multikine product, we recognized that CEL-SCI may fundamentally change the standard method for treating cancer in the future. At the same time we also recognize the challenges faced by any Phase III biotech company wishing to self-fund a manufacturing facility. With CEL-SCI’s help we were able to devise a client-tailored financing approach for their facility, which allows CEL-SCI to preserve its capital and focus on its core business. CEL-SCI has a dedicated and highly capable management team that we believe will succeed in bringing to market a major new cancer drug. We are simply pleased to be helping CEL-SCI accomplish that goal.”

In Phase II clinical trials Multikine was shown to be safe and well- tolerated, and to improve the patients’ overall survival by 33% at a median of three and a half years following surgery. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the go-ahead for a Phase III clinical trial with Multikine in January 2007 and granted Orphan drug status to Multikine in the neoadjuvant therapy of squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck in May 2007.

Multikine, a patented defined mixture of naturally derived cytokines, is the first immunotherapeutic agent in a new class of drugs called “Immune SIMULATORS”. Immune SIMULATORS simulate the way our natural immune system acts in defending us against cancer. As opposed to other immunotherapies, which are designed to target a single or limited number of specific antigens or molecules, Immune SIMULATORS are multi-targeted; they simultaneously cause a direct and targeted killing of the specific tumor cells and they activate the immune system to produce a stronger anti-tumor attack on multiple fronts.

Multikine is also the first immunotherapeutic agent being developed as a first-line standard of care treatment for cancer. It is administered prior to any other cancer therapy because that is the period when the anti-tumor immune response can still be fully activated. Once the patient has advanced disease, or had surgery or has received radiation and/or chemotherapy, the immune system is severely weakened and is less able to mount an effective anti-tumor immune response. Other immunotherapies are administered later in cancer therapy, which can limit their effectiveness.

CEL-SCI Corporation is developing new immune system based treatments for cancer and infectious diseases. The company has operations in Vienna, VA and Baltimore, MD. The company’s lead product Multikine is cleared to enter a global Phase III clinical trial in advanced primary head and neck cancer patients in the U.S. and Canada. CEL-SCI’s other products, which are currently in pre-clinical stage, have shown protection against a number of diseases in animal tests and are being tested against diseases associated with bio-defense and avian flu.

Source: CEL-SCI Corporation

Contact:
Gavin de Windt of CEL-SCI Corporation,
Tel: 703-506-9460
Web site: http://www.cel-sci.com/

August 16, 2006 – Brooks Automation Inc. has appointed Robert Lepofsky, formerly chairman/CEO of Helix Technology Corp., as its next CEO following Ed Grady’s scheduled retirement next month.

Lepofsky led Helix from 1989 until late 2004, and joined Brooks as a board member in Oct. 2005 when Brooks bought the systems manufacturer in a $454M deal. Since January 2005 Lepofsky has been president/CEO of privately held Ensign-Bickford Industries, a group with businesses ranging from ordinance systems for military/aerospace to real estate development to making pet foods more “palatable.”

“As a director of Brooks and the former CEO of Helix, Bob can step in without missing a beat as we continue to move the company forward,” noted company chairman Joe Martin, in a statement. He also praised Grady’s leadership over the past five years “as we faced numerous challenges and some very difficult times,” including restructuring that included the Helix deal and carving out its fab software business in a sale to Applied Materials, as well as being at the center of the controversy over stock options backdating.

“As a Brooks director I have seen first hand the progress the company has made in recent years, and I look forward to helping the Company take the next steps forward,” Lepofsky added.

August 15, 2007 — Nanosphere Inc. a nanotechnology-based molecular diagnostics company based in Northbrook, Ill., has filed for an initial public stock offering, intending to raise up to $100 million.

Nanosphere’s mission is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of disease by enabling earlier access to, and detection of, new and existing biomarkers. The company’s Verigene system, which is awaiting FDA approval, is a benchtop molecular diagnostics workstation that uses patented gold nanoparticle technology to for superior sensitivity to detect nucleic acid and protein targets. The system promises extremely early detection of such medical conditions as cancer and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Early detection is not the company’s only goal, however; the system is designed for easy use by technicians without specialized training and is inexpensive enough for purchase by hospitals. Currently such test analysis requires the use of highly trained personnel in labs outside of hospitals.

The company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission notes that Nanosphere will use about half of the proceeds to develop product manufacturing, and the majority of the rest would go to marketing.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Nanosphere has raised more than $100 million in private money, including a $57 million venture capital investmentIin 2006 from a group led by Bain Capital. Lurie Investments, Nanosphere’s founding investor, is a major shareholder. Underwriters for the plannedIIPO are Credit Suisse,IPiper Jaffray, Leerink Swann & Co., and Allen & Co.

According to the Tribune report, Nanosphere’s revenues were just over $1 million in 2006, and came mainly from research contracts and government grants. “Minimal” sales derived from the genetic-testing system. But, future profit depends on getting regulatory approval for and commercialization of testing systems.

Copper climbed significantly from a low point at the beginning of 2007, and is steady at about $8,000/ton, rates the LME. Lead prices spiked in the first half of 2007, increasing from about $1,700/ton to $2,700/ton, and continuing the upward trend. Tin prices have risen at a more moderate pace, reaching about $15,000/ton by mid-year.

(August 15, 2007) SAN JOSE, Calif. &#151 SEMI reported global semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings at $11.06B in Q’02 2007, and bookings at $10.22B. Strong memory investments in the first half of 2007 led to an increase in billings, according to Stanley T. Myers, president and CEO, SEMI, adding that bookings declined, but remained at “sustainable levels.”

August 14, 2007 — Ametek Inc. has acquired Cameca SAS, a manufacturer of high-end elemental analysis systems used in advanced laboratory research, semiconductor, and nanotechnology applications. Cameca, based in Paris, France, was purchased from an investment group led by the Carlyle Group for approximately 82 million Euros ($112 million). Cameca has estimated annual sales of 60 million Euros ($82 million).

The acquisition “significantly broadens our technical capabilities in differentiated, high-end analytical instrumentation. Its global customer base includes many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers and academic, government, and industrial research facilities engaged in nano-science and other materials science research,” noted Ametek chairman and CEO Frank S. Hermance.

Cameca’s products, including secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), low-energy X-ray emission spectrometry (LEXES), tomographic atom probe (TAP), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) instrumentation, “complements the products and technology offered by our SPECTRO and EDAX businesses,” added Hermance.

Cameca joins Ametek’s Electronic Instruments Group.

August 14, 2007 — mPhase Technologies’ wholly owned subsidiary AlwaysReady, Inc. has named Dr. Fred Allen as Chief Executive Officer. AlwaysReady was created in April 2007 to create shareholder value in mPhase’s leading-edge nanotechnology battery and MEMS based products.

“I am excited by the opportunity to join AlwaysReady, Inc. and to drive the effort to commercialize its smart nanobattery and family of magnetometers,” said Allen. “Our initial focus will be on prototype fabrication to test the functionality of both technologies in select applications. We look forward to building relationships with strategic partners and prospective customers who we believe will benefit from using these revolutionary technologies.”

With 10 patents to his credit, Dr. Allen led the efforts of Engelhard Corp. in New Jersey in a rechargeable lithium-ion battery materials program, as well as the company’s nanotechnology growth initiative. Most recently with his own consultancy, Allen completed a term with a nanotechnology investment firm, Advance Nanotech, as Senior Vice President of Materials. He is also co-founder and Director of the Greater Garden State Nanotechnology Alliance (GGSNA).

Wafer-bump, LED Cluster


August 13, 2007

An advanced coating cluster, the Gamma XPress suits gold bump coating, under bump metallization or redistribution coating, high-volume LED coating, and other film-development applications based on chosen configuration. It is said to shorten lead times with flexible production setup.

EasyPro3D hosts simplified parameterizing; an IPC-compliant, 1,600 component library, LIB2007; and updated repair station. The shortened parameter list reportedly speeds high-quality inspection with low false calls, while automatic parameter optimization (APO) allows use with all LIB2007 algorithms.

(August 10, 2007) MANCHESTER, NH &#151 J P Sercel Associates (JPSA) expanded its contract manufacturing, job shop, and applications laboratory capabilities with various laser types, including infrared (IR) and “green” lasers for thin-film solar-panel manufacturing and other developing industries. The company also supplemented its DPSS and excimer laser capacity with more workstations, performing tasks such as wafer singulation and LED lift-off. Micromachining services are bolstered by the additions.

(August 10, 2007) SAN FRANCISCO &#151 Jerry Coder, president emeritus of the semiconductor materials business unit of Dupont Electronic Technologies, was elected by SEMI as chairman of the industry association’s International Board of Directors. Coder succeeds Archie Hwang, chairman and CEO of Hermes-Epitek, who served for the past year.