Establishes ClassOne Technology as New Design and Development Subsidiary

Atlanta, GA – July 9, 2013 – ClassOne Equipment announced today that it has made significant investments in the growth and expansion of its Wet Processing Division in response to increased market demand.   A Design and Development Center has been opened in Kalispell, Montana, staffed with several veterans who represent over 200 years of cumulative industry experience, who will focus on new product design and development.   Corporate and refurbishment activities will remain at ClassOne’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We are thrilled with the strong customer response to ClassOne’s industry-leading products and support.  We have expanded the division to enhance our sales and support of legacy Semitool® equipment worldwide as well as to design and manufacture new state of the art upgrades and platforms that address emerging markets such as MEMS, Nanotech, LED and RF Power Devices,” said Byron Exarcos, ClassOne’s President.  “Semitool’s acquisition left a void in the market for mature fabs and emerging technologies that use 75 to 200mm substrates.  ClassOne is meeting the growing demand for cost effective, reliable, and long-term support for popular tools such as the Equinox®, LT210C, Raider®, Spray Solvent, and Spray Acid tools.  The wide-spread adoption of our lift-and-rotate and robot refurbishment programs gives testimony to that fact.”

The new facility in Kalispell will be operated under the name of ClassOne Technology as a wholly owned subsidiary of ClassOne Equipment.  The executive team includes:  Win Carpenter, a 33-year veteran in the Semiconductor Industry, VP Wet Process Division; Tim McGlenn (26 years experience, including leading the software and electronics development of Semitool’s 101, 102, 202, 302, 402 and 502 controllers), VP of Operations; and Kevin Witt (25 years focused on the development and commercialization of new wet chemical processing platforms), VP Technology; all of whom previously held leadership positions at Semitool.  Their appointment further strengthens the division, positioning it for enhanced growth and continued market leadership.

ClassOne Technology’s first product, the PolarisTM controller, is an advanced, PLC-based, field-retrofittable control system that replaces the aging 302 control system used in many Semitool legacy tools.  The Polaris controller will be unveiled at SEMICON West in San Francisco from July 9th through 11th where it will be demonstrated in a fully refurbished Semitool Spray Solvent Tool exhibited at ClassOne’s booth (#441).

ClassOne Equipment (http://ClassOneEquipment.com) is a recognized leader in the business of equipment refurbishment with over 2,500 tools installed world-wide in four key markets:  Semitool Wet Chemical Processing, SPTS Plasma Etching & PECVD, Suss/EVG Mask Aligners, and KLA-Tencor Wafer Inspection.   Known for superior quality 75 to 300mm equipment, customer-first service, and its 30-day unconditional return policy, the ClassOne team has been winning and serving customers in the traditional semiconductor and emerging technology sectors for over 10 years.

For more Information Contact:

Byron Exarcos

ClassOne Equipment

+1 770.808.8708

For the most critical semiconductor gas delivery requirements, HORIBA STEC introduces the D500 Mass Flow Module. Extending the Criterion technology from the highly accurate and reliable D200 series, the D500 provides unparalleled accuracy and repeatability while providing self-diagnostics, high-turn down capability, and line pressure insensitivity.

Developed utilizing the most advanced gas metrology facilities and technologies, the D500 will aid equipment and process engineers with the chamber matching process by using the D500’s internal diagnostics to ensure that the gas delivery system remains accurate and repeatable. Please come by SEMICON West 2013 booth 1819 for a demonstration.

Thomas Engstedt, CEO, Advanced VacuumQ: What is your business segment, product, and approach?

A: We have created a compact and reliable tool which is very capable and affordable in the very competitive R&D market.  The tool was developed with the capabilities of the highly respected SLR technology developed by Plasma-Therm, our parent company.  The SLR tool is one of the most reliable and capable tools in use by labs, universities and institutions world-wide.  The Apex SLR takes advantage of the features of the SLR and is repackaged in a compact form factor using all digital communication and the best-of-breed components available today.

Q: What was your goal with this product?

A: We provide an ICP tool to develop processes and methods for etching compound and mainstream semiconductor materials for potential transfer to mainstream device production.

Q: How is your product or approach different from your competition?

A: The Apex SLR is smaller, more reliable and affordably priced.  Leveraging years of proven SLR processing capabilities, the Apex SLR will allow users to continue the legacy of a reliable platform, known process capability and a service and support network that has been recognized for 15 years as the “Best of the Best”.

Q: How is your product or approach better than your competition?

A: Besides the well-established process capabilities of the SLR technology, the Apex SLR was developed to accommodate specific needs for the R&D market.  These would be: High reliability, small footprint, ease of use, repeatable processing and ease of serviceability; all at a very competitive and affordable cost.

Q: What changes or shifts (business / technical) do you see coming in this product segment?

A: The R&D and Failure/Yield analysis markets require a tool that is easy to use, is available for processing when needed.  Tool reliability, flexibility, capability and dependability will drive the market for years to come.

Q: How will you help customers address those shifts?

A: We have addressed these issues with forward thinking design and capabilities already designed into the tool.  If there is a failure, customers do not want to spend time taking off covers and weeding through a jungle of wires and components to get the tool operational.  With best-of-breed components and packaging that makes sense with easy access, the Apex SLR is already designed and built with today’s needs and tomorrow’s possibilities.

The HORIBA Group of worldwide companies provides an extensive array of instruments and systems for applications ranging from automotive R&D, process and environmental monitoring, in-vitro medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing and metrology, to a broad range of scientific R&D and QC measurements. Proven quality and trustworthy performance have established widespread confidence in the HORIBA Brand.

Supporting the evolution of smart life styles with high-precision technologies, HORIBA Semiconductor  offers a comprehensive range of control and analytical solutions to improve yield, increase throughput, and add value to the Semiconductor, Flat Panel Display (FDP), Light Emitting Diode (LED),  Photovoltaic (PV) and related manufacturing and research industries.

From advanced high-accuracy Fluid Delivery technology to such diverse applications as wet process, dry process, lithography metrology and process monitoring, HORIBA is the global leader in bringing scientific expertise and industry know-how together to produce critical technologies required for tool matching, recipe creation, and the final goal of maintaining a stable process by using advanced process control.

HORIBA’s special blend of global companies, technologies, and culture are bringing creative solutions to the problems of designing the next generation processes that have been essential to the advancements made in semiconductor technology.

Inspired by our unique motto, “JOY and FUN,” we focus on social responsibilities by building state-of-the-art products for scientific advancement; especially for protecting health, safety, and the environment. “HORIBARIANs,” the HORIBA employees all over the world, are looking forward to working with you and providing the best analytical and process control solution for your needs. Please visit us at SEMICON West 2013, booth 1819.

Sonoscan’s Dual Scanning™, high-speed and highly automated acoustic system for inspecting 300mm wafers for internal defects can handle any wafer type. But the features and defects that it sees vary from one type to another.

    • Individual 300mm wafers. These are imaged before bonding to eliminate those having cracks in the silicon. As each of the two transducers raster-scans, the pulsed ultrasound is reflected from the gap in any cracks in the wafer.

    • Direct-bonded SOI wafers. Where the two silicon wafers are well bonded, there is no echo because there is no material interface – it’s all silicon. But a non-bond or a void (perhaps caused by a particle) or a crack sends back a strong echo.

    • Intermediate bond wafers. The glass frit, metal film or other “glue” bonding these wafers ensures there is a material interface – or perhaps two distinguishable interfaces if the adhesive is thick enough. Voids and non-bonds may be at or in the adhesive layer; there may also be cracks in the wafers themselves. In MEMS wafers, the bonding layer forms the critical seal around the MEMS cavity. The width of the seal and defects in the seal can be observed to determine the reliability of the hermetic seal.

    • Anodic bond wafers. Where the glass wafer is bonded to the silicon wafer, there is a material interface and hence an echo. Much stronger echoes will come from non-bonds, voids and cracks.

    • 3D IC, Chip on wafer, or chip stack on wafer. These configurations are especially vulnerable to non-bonds, voids and the like. The AW300 can encompass the entire thickness of the structure to find defects at any level.

The purpose of the AW300 is to permit the swift and automated identification and removal of unreliable devices as early as possible in the production cycle.