USA

03/01/1998

USA

Eaton Corp., Cleveland, OH, has earmarked $92 million for fab tool operations. At its semiconductor equipment operation headquarters in Beverly, MA, the company is spending $75.7 million to build a 110,000-ft2 production line. The mini-fab will demonstrate ion implant, thermal processing, photostabilization, photoresist stripping tools, and metrology equipment. Eaton is also planning a $13 million, 50,000-ft2 expansion at its ion implant manufacturing equipment line in Beverly. In addition, Eaton Thermal Processing Systems, Peabody, MA, has sold multiple Reliance 850 RTP systems to Ion Implant Services.

Fairchild Semiconductor, South Portland, ME, has agreed to purchase Raytheon Co.`s semiconductor operation for about $120 million in cash, and expects to grow the business substantially and add fab capacity either internally or via foundry relationships. The deal gives Fairchild, which spun out of National Semiconductor earlier this year, its first entry in the analog and mixed-signal device markets.

Moyco Technologies, Montgomeryville, PA, has finalized a deal for its CMP operation with ChemFirst subsidiary EKC Technology, a Hayward, CA, supplier of post-CMP cleaners. The sale is valued at approximately $10 million, and includes a lump sum payment, a deferred payment, and royalty fees based on product sales through 2004. In addition, EKC has acquired the assets of a CMP business, owned by Baikowski Chimie, a unit of Groupe PSB Industries S.A. Moyco and Ashland Chemical Co. have agreed to terminate negotiations of Ashland`s purchase of Moyco`s intellectual properties and technologies for CMP.

Integrated Solutions Inc. (ISI), Austin, TX, has sold its used equipment business to Comdisco`s Electronics Group, which runs its own equipment refurbishing operation. Comdisco has acquired most of ISI`s surplus equipment inventory. ISI is subletting 33,000 ft2 of the refurbishing operation in Austin to Comdisco. In addition, under a multimillion dollar contract, ISI will develop extreme UV reticle and stage assemblies for the EUV (LLC ) development firm, formed last year by Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Motorola. Over the next two years, the proof of concept test system will be built at Sandia National Labs. Work will involve ISI`s magnetic levitation stage technology, along with custom lithography capabilities.

Samsung Semiconductor is planning to sell its Microwave Semiconductor (SMS) unit in Milpitas, CA, to Watkins-Johnson Co. (W-J), which, in turn, is planning an expansion of its gallium-arsenide and thin-film manufacturing capabilities with the buy. The agreement includes a nonexclusive license that will allow W-J to manufacture SMS products and to service SMS customers. Meanwhile, Samsung has selected Applied Materials Inc.`s Ultima HDP-CVD Centura system to deposit dielectric films in the manufacture of advanced logic devices at its production facility in Kihung, South Korea.

TriQuint Semiconductor, Hillsboro, OR, is planning a $39 million buy of Raytheon`s Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) operation, formerly of Texas Instruments` Defense Systems & Electronics Group. About half of the purchase price will be paid in cash, with the remaining half paid in TriQuint stock, redeemable within 360 days of the deal`s closing. The Dallas facility employs about 300 employees, all of whom are expected to join TriQuint.

Photomask supplier Photronics has completed its buy of Motorola`s internal photomask manufacturing unit in Mesa, AZ. The deal includes a long-term supply agreement between the two companies, as well as a list of advanced lithography and inspection systems, and metrology and repair tools. Photronics will temporarily operate from the Motorola site until another facility in the Mesa area can be opened for photomask manufacturing operations. The deal gives Photronics better visibility in the Southwest region of the US.

Motorola will re-commence activity at its planned wafer fab site near Richmond, VA, after suspending construction plans a year and a half ago. Equipment installation is slated to begin in late 1999, with shipments of products expected to start in mid-2000. About 2500 employees will be on site when completed. The fab will begin operations using 0.18-?m geometries. The West Creek campus will also house wafer bumping, assembly, and test operations similar to the back-end operations Motorola has at its Austin, TX, facility.

In a $6.5 million cash and stock deal, Electroglas Inc., Santa Clara, CA, has acquired back-end wafer auditing equipment supplier Techne Corp., Albany, OR. Electroglas will add Techne`s post-fab inspection tools to its own line of process and yield management equipment. As a result of the transaction, Electroglas expects to take a $2.6 million charge during its 4Q for in-process R&D. Meanwhile, Electroglas received a multimillion-dollar volume purchase for Horizon 4090 wafer probers from SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics.

EMCORE Corp., Somerset, NJ, a supplier of epitaxial reactor equipment, has purchased the privately-held MicroOptical Devices Inc., a developer of optical components and subsystems based on vertical cavity surface-emitting laser technology. In addition, EMCORE has sold a Discovery 75/125 MOCVD tool to NASA`s Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, OH. The reactor will be used in the center`s silicon carbide R&D.

A 300-mm DUV stepper from the Semiconductor Equipment Division of Canon USA is up and running at the International 300-mm Initiative (I300I) in Austin, TX. Both I300I and Intel have accepted the 300-mm FPA-3000EX3L. Under a one-year contract with I300I, Intel has purchased the tool, which is being used by the consortium. I300I results will be shared with all member companies; Intel will also use the stepper to develop its own processes.

Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., Willow Grove, PA, has received an order from Lucent Technologies for 42 model 8020 wire bonders for its assembly factory in Singapore. Delivery will begin this month. SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics has ordered 25 of the same model wire bonders for its semiconductor assembly factory in Malta. The Semiconductor Assembly & Test division of Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. has ordered 86 model 1488 plus gold ball bonders for its production facility in Ichon City, South Korea. Finally, Amkor/Anam Pilipinas Inc. has placed an $8 million order for the same model ball bonders for its production facility in Manila.

FSI International Inc., Minneapolis, MN, has received a $9.6 million order for POLARIS 2200 microlithography clusters from a US-based semiconductor manufacturing company. The equipment will be used in a new 200-mm fab for high-throughput i-line applications. FSI has also received its first order from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. for a POLARIS 2100 microlithography cluster to be used in Samsung`s Korean R&D facility to develop future memory products.

Corning Inc., Corning, NY, will expand its high purity fused silica (HPFS) capacity with a new $75 million, 150,000 ft2 plant near Charleston, SC. Production is slated to begin before the end of the 1Q98. The plant will initially employ 150 people. Recently, Corning expanded its Canton, NY, facility and doubled HPFS capacity there. When both facilities are fully running, about half of the HPFS product will be generated in Canton, with the other half generated from the new plant.