Europe

09/01/1998

Europe

With two CMP tool orders slated to ship later this year, Germany-based Peter Wolters is moving into the CMP market, and has formed a new subsidiary - Peter Wolters CMP Systems, Rendsburg, Germany - to manage the business. The unit will ship its first 300-mm CMP system, the PM300 APOLLO, in the fourth quarter to the Dresden-based Semiconductor300 pilot line. Separately, the company has logged an order for its PM200 Gemini 200-mm system from Siemens, also in Dresden. The system offers processes for oxide, metal, and prime wafer.

Siemens AG Production and Logistics Systems, Nuremberg, Germany, has joined Kulicke & Soffa`s Open Cooperative Program for back-end factory automation. K&S will now market Siemens Flying Shuttle material handling automation system as part of its range of integrated solutions. K&S will provide program management, with Siemens providing the hardware, software, and integration.

STEAG Electronic Systems GmbH, Pliezhausen, Germany, has acquired the CMP business unit of the polishing company Presi, Grenoble, France. STEAG will add to its line Presi`s new polishing system with independent single-head, single-platen modules that can be customer and application specific.

Fairchild Technologies is planning to establish a new development center for spin-on technology in Catania, Italy. The Advanced Integrated Circuit Process Development Center will advance Fairchild`s LK-800, the IMD cluster tool for low-k dielectrics, and the PR800, the deep UV photoresist processing system. Fairchild decided to locate the center in Catania in part to be near ST Microelectronics (formerly SGS-Thomson), which also is planning new facilities there.

CONCOA Europa, based in the Netherlands, is a new technical marketing facility and virtual factory supporting European customers of Controls Corp. of America (CONCOA), Virginia Beach, VA. CONCOA manufactures gas flow control equipment.