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Raymor’s new 77,000 sq ft. production facility (Photo: Raymor Industries)

Feb. 8, 2007 — Raymor Industries, Inc., a developer and producer of single-walled carbon nanotubes, nanomaterials and advanced materials, has completed the move of all of its current business activities and is now in production at its new 77,000 sq. ft. facility in Boisbriand, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal.

The existing manufacturing units have begun producing for clients at the new facility. The major expansion activities for Raymor’s metallic powders and coating divisions will be completed over the course of the current quarter. The move to the new facility was initiated in order to save costs and to facilitate the expansion of its single-walled carbon nanotubes (C-SWNT) and advanced materials production lines. The company states that the new facility costs 30% less to operate on a square foot basis as compared to the previous location, and is more strategically located to service Raymor’s existing and projected client base.

The existing units now in production at the new facility include the following:
– One high capacity unit for the production of high quality, reasonably priced C-SWNT for composite and other applications in the aerospace, defense, sports and recreation, and energy fields;
– One plasma atomization unit for the production of highly spherical, very flowable and very pure titanium and titanium alloy powders for biomedical and aerospace applications;
– One HVOF (High Velocity Oxy-Fuel) spray unit, used primarily for the coating of carbide-based materials in aerospace, power generation and other industrial applications;
– One APS (Atmospheric Plasma Spraying) spray unit, for the coating of metals and ceramics onto critical components in various sectors, including aerospace and other specialized industries;
– One VPS (Vacuum Plasma Spraying) spray unit for the coating of critical gas turbine components, severe service ball valves, and other equipment requiring very high quality metal and ceramic coatings.

In a prepared statement, Stéphane Robert, President and CEO of Raymor Industries, commented, “With the completion of installations in our new facility and the purchase of new equipment which considerably increased our production capacity, coupled with new qualified personnel coming on board with the company, we are now in a much better position to capture significant market share in the aerospace, defense, biomedical and industrial sectors in all of our operating divisions. Clients have already begun to visit the new building, and have walked away very impressed with our facility and very enthusiastic about our capability to expand, particularly in our Nanotechnology division. With only certain key qualifications remaining, we have all the elements in place to sign long-term agreements with our customers.”

Feb. 8, 2007 — UQM Technologies and Altair Nanotechnologies jointly announced that they have formed a strategic alliance to pursue opportunities for their complementary proprietary technologies in advanced transportation and other high potential markets. The alliance pairs UQM’s electric motor, power generator and power electronic products with Altairnano’s NanoSafe&trade battery packs.

The companies state that by collaborating on product development opportunities, both companies can potentially accelerate the commercialization of their proprietary technologies as well as develop optimized solutions that require motive power, on-board energy storage and power generation.

“UQM has a reputation for developing an array of innovative and high performance products for advanced transportation applications,” said Alan J. Gotcher Ph.D., Altairnano’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This strategic alliance will allow us to offer comprehensive, integrated products and electric power solutions to a wide range of customers and markets.”

“We are excited to be able to collaborate with Altairnano on product opportunities in the markets we are pursuing,” said William G. Rankin, President and Chief Executive Officer of UQM Technologies, Inc. “We believe the performance attributes of Altairnano’s NanoSafeTM battery packs can potentially add significant value to vehicles under development for our current and future customers.”

UQM and Altairnano are currently collaborating on the development and commercial launch of an all-electric sport utility truck (SUT) for Phoenix Motorcars, Inc.

Feb. 7, 2007 — Nanogate AG, a Saarbrücken-based nanotechnology materials and process company, announced it had successfully completed an ISO audit for environmental management in addition to it’s ISO DIN 9001 quality management certification.

The company stated that it’s DIN ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004 certificates for quality management systems and functioning corporate environmental protection, demonstrate that it has clear targets for corporate development and presents itself as a responsible technology company in the nanotechnology industry. Nanogate also stated that it practices environmental responsibility in the development, manufacture and distribution of products.

“Adopting the environmental management system ensures an intensive flow of information on all quality- and environment-relevant issues to both our employees and our customers. By gaining extended certification we have established an important precondition for ensuring this information flow,” said Nanogate COO Michael Jung in a prepared statement.

As described by the company, on the basis of Nanogate’s environmental management system, for example, the raw materials used and their effect on the environment are tested. Products are tested throughout their entire life cycle (production, storage, processing, use and recycling) in order to recognise and eliminate possible hazards.

Feb.7, 2007 — NanoSensors, Inc., a developer of nano-based instruments and sensors to detect explosives, chemical and biological agents, announced today that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire substantially all of the tangible and intangible assets of privately-held DKL International, Inc.

DKL International is a provider of passive detection technology and related products to the homeland security, defense, military, law enforcement, security, safety, and rescue markets.

“After careful consideration, DKL International became an obvious choice for our first acquisition,” said Dr. Ted Wong, NanoSensors’ Chairman & CEO. “This acquisition will provide us with a portfolio of patents and patent applications, revenue producing assets, infrastructure, and strategic relationships that NanoSensors can leverage to achieve its existing business objectives.”

“This transaction, with the financial and technical support from Ted and his team, will allow us to significantly expand our operations,” said Howard Sidman, Chairman & CEO of DKL International. “To date the majority of our sales have come from Asian markets, and this transaction will give us the capability to expand our sales and marketing effort into the United States.”

The present terms of the Letter of Intent provide for NanoSensors to pay a purchase price comprised of issuing common stock to DKL International, assuming certain liabilities of DKL International, and making commitments to provide additional capital at closing to fund the operations of the Company. The completion of the transaction is subject to numerous closing conditions, including the negotiation and execution of a definitive acquisition agreement, the completion of due diligence by the parties, the approval of the Board of Directors and shareholders of each entity and several other conditions.

If a final agreement is reached, the transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2007.


Obducat’s new Sindre™ NIL system (Photo: Obducat)

Feb. 6, 2007 — Obducat, a supplier of lithography solutions based on Nano Imprint Lithography and E-beam lithography, launched Sindre™, its high volume manufacturing system for Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) to an invited audience numbering more than 200 attendees.

Obducat, which claims a 40% share of the global installed base of NIL systems, believes the Sindre™ system offers a manufacturing level solution to producers of consumer products such as cameras, mobile phones, palmtops, flat screens and next generation hard disk drives as well as optical storage media like HD-DVD and Blu-ray, many of which already employ NIL with research level tools from Obducat.

Obducat’s solution is based on two key technologies developed by Obducat. IPS™ the inversion of a hard master into an Intermediate Polymer Stamp (used once for imprinting and then discarded). This limits contamination risk and increases master life-time. STU™, Simultaneously combined UV and Thermal NIL, allowing the complete imprint sequence to be performed at a constant temperature.

The company states that the Sindre™ system is able to imprint 30 wafers per hour up to 8-inch diameter substrates and subsequent model will be capable of up to 90 wafers per hour.


Obducat’s CTO, Babak Heidari, demonstrating the Sindre system for Jim Wang, NanoOpto (Photo: Obducat)

Japanese technology leader Canon Marketing Japan signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Obducat this week.

Hiroshi Shibuya, Senior Managing Director of Canon marketing, Japan, said: “Canon has identified the Nano imprint market as a very interesting future area of growth. We have high expectations for our new cooperation and we believe that Obducat’s expertise in Nano imprint will bring new and innovative solutions to the Japanese market.”

“Distribution is the key to our market,” said Frédéric Hervier, Marketing and Sales Director at Obducat. “Asia is a very important market and together with Canon we can better penetrate the vast potential of the Japanese market.

Obducat states that it currently supplies its Nano Imprint Lithography (NIL) and Electron Beam recorder (EBR) technology to Samsung, Thomson, GE Plastics, Fujitsu, Dai Nippon Printing and others. Obducat has 200 ongoing patents related to its NIL and E-beam technologies.

Feb. 6, 2007 — Seiko Epson Corp. (Epson), has purchased a MA200 Compact Mask Aligner from SUSS MicroTec , a supplier of precision manufacturing and test systems, to support Epson’s Wafer Level Chip Scale Packaging (W-CSP) production. SUSS reports that after a careful evaluation of competitive systems, Epson decided on SUSS’ MA200Compact Aligner because it demonstrated excellent throughput and a submicron overlay and alignment accuracy. In addition, the company states that it’s MA200Compact has been optimized for advanced thick chemically amplified positive tone resists that allow for ninety degree resist profiles. The system that was purchased during the fourth quarter of 2006 will be delivered to Epson’s facility in Japan.

Mask aligners are proximity printing tools where mask and wafer are separated by an exposure gap in the range between 20 and 100 microns. Proximity aligners offer a low cost lithography solution for high volume production.

“The spirit of creativity and challenge is at the heart of Epson’s corporate ethos”, comments Akira Makabe, General Manager of Advanced Technology Development Center at Epson. “To keep up with the creation of unique technologies and skills we are constantly seeking for innovative equipment solutions. We chose SUSS MicroTec’s MA200Compact, because it combines proven mask aligner technology with highest resolution, submicron overlay accuracy and an excellent wafer yield. The SUSS MA200Compact was able to meet even our most demanding performance criteria.”

Rolf Wolf, managing director of SUSS MicroTec’ lithography division, noted, “We are pleased that one of the world’s most innovative companies in the digital image sector has selected the SUSS MA200Compact to support its Wafer Level Chip Scale Packaging production. SUSS is excited to be participating in the remarkable progress that is currently being made in Wafer Level Packaging manufacturing. This order further solidifies SUSS’ position as the leading supplier of production mask aligner systems.”

Feb. 5, 2007 — NanoOpto Corporation, an optical components company utilizing nanofabrication technology, and Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM), a Japanese optical isolator and network application components company, announced that their joint-development partnership has resulted in first product shipments to SMM’s customers.

NanoOpto states that by teaming with Sumitomo Metal Mining and their collaboration on the development of new, integrated telecommunications components, primarily packaged optical isolators and custom WDM filters, will enable smaller, more highly integrated solutions at very competitive price points not feasible through traditional technologies. This relationship enhances both companies’ abilities to address optical networking component providers’ increasing demand for hardware. These new components enable Triple-Play (voice, data, and video) services through fiber infrastructure and end user premise equipment.

“SMM’s Communications Components business is a very synergistic partnership with NanoOpto,” said Barry Weinbaum, President and CEO of NanoOpto Corporation. “SMM’s market-leading position gives them keen insight into the direction of the end user. We are excited to make the announcement of our close working relationship, and we are now shipping Optical Isolator products to customers. We are collaborating on new products which will give SMM and their customers a real competitive advantage.”

Products resulting from the SMM and NanoOpto relationship are expected to be generally available during 2007.

Associated Press
By Anthony Mitchell (Associated Press Writer)

Feb. 5, 2007 — NAIROBI, Kenya – The U.N. called Monday for tighter regulation on technology to change or create materials at the atomic and molecular level, a process being used to develop new drugs, foods and other commercial products.

In its annual report of the global environment, the U.N.’s Environment Program said “swift action” was needed by policy makers to properly evaluate the new science of nanotechnology.

Although nanotechnology could transform electronics, energy industries and medicine, more research is needed to identify environmental, health and socio-economic hazards, Achim Steiner, who heads UNEP, said in the 87-page report.

The report was released on the opening day of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum, which brought nearly 100 environmental ministers and deputy ministers to Nairobi for the annual conference.

“This is a phenomenally rapidly expanding technology, but as yet we do not know what we are releasing into the atmosphere,” Steiner told journalists, adding that there are no regulations in place specifically to monitor nanotechnology.

Denmark’s Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard told journalists that the European Union had set up a number of scientific commissions to look into the effects of nanotechnology and to decide what kind of regulation should be applied.

Nanotechnology is technology on the scale of a billionth of a meter, or about one 80,000th of the width of a human hair: the scale of atoms and molecules. The prefix comes from “nanos,” the Greek word for dwarf.
Nanotechnology materials are being developed for use in drugs, foods, cosmetics and medical devices.

Nanomaterials are already used to make stronger tennis rackets, clothes that are stain-resistant and self-cleaning windows.

Priority must be given to assessing the potential risks of nanomaterials already being mass-produced, UNEP said in its report.

Critics say the science opens a Pandora’s box, saying free-roaming nanoparticles or nanotubes – ultra-small pieces of material – could be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or build up in the environment.

People already breathe in millions of nanoparticles a day; critics say it is unclear whether the chemicals the particles are made of are harmful.

Although still in its infancy, the nanotechnology industry is booming.

By 2014, nanotechnology is projected to capture 14 percent of the US$2.6 trillion (euro2 trillion) global manufacturing market, UNEP says. In 2004 it made up less than 0.1 percent.

UNEP says in its report that it remains unclear what nanoparticles will do when released into the earth’s atmosphere, water or soil.

The agency is calling for global test protocols and greater cooperation between private- and public-sector industries and between the developing and industrialized world. UNEP also wants public education about nanotechnology to raise awareness and provide information on the potential benefits and risks.

On the Net:
United Nations Environment Program: http://www.unep.org

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Feb. 2, 2007 — Oxford Instruments, a UK supplier of MBE, plasma and ion beam processing equipment, announced the delivery of a twin V100 molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system to a customer in Asia.

With an installed base of over 60 systems, the V100 is ideally suited to high-volume production, being fully automated for handling multi-wafer platens with 4 x 4″, 5 x 3″ or 12 x 2″ capacity. It is widely used in the manufacture of pHEMT, MESFET and HBT structures as well as the fabrication of high quality laser diodes.

“The successful delivery of such a complex system further demonstrates the in-depth capability of Oxford Instruments since acquiring the VG Semicon MBE business in October 2003”, states Tony Cornish, Business Manager for MBE and Ion Beam products.

Molecular beam epitaxy enables the growth of semiconductor materials such as Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) for chips in applications such as mobile phones and other communications devices, Indium Arsenide (InAs) for infrared detectors and optoelectronics, and a wide range of other and more complex compound materials which enable modern electronic devices.


Barbara G. Goode, new Editor-in-Chief of Small Times

Feb. 2, 2007 — Barbara G. Goode, a veteran chief editor, has been announced by PennWell Corporation, Small Times’ parent company, as the new Editor-in-Chief, effective February 5, 2007.

For nearly ten years, Goode served as Editor-in-Chief of the highly respected, highly technical Sensors magazine, overseeing and directing the editorial and design efforts both in print and online. She was instrumental in the development of Sensors’ website, directories, e-newsletters and most recently, the daily blog. Goode also served as editorial director for Sensors China. In past years, she served as conference director for Sensors Expo, the industry’s leading trade event.

Goode will parlay her MEMS and nano expertise into the continued emphasis of Small Times to remain the leading global source for driving superior innovation and successful commercialization of micro and nano technologies through the delivery of critical information and analysis.

“I look forward to helping readers understand the implications of developments in the small-tech space so they will know how to make good business decisions,” said Goode. “There’s no lack of information and hype about small tech. My goal is to help readers synthesize that data and to make it accessible, practical, and useful for day-to-day planning and operations.”

“Small Times readers will benefit significantly from Barbara’s editorial experience, industry relationships and her passion for delivering quality information. Our ability to cover the manufacturing issues and the rapidly growing tools and equipment markets will be greatly enhanced,” said Patti Glaza, Publisher of Small Times magazine.

The Small Times international franchise consists of comprehensive, integrated print and online media, including: interactive Webcasts, technical White Papers, a proven, highly successful E-Newsletter, the Small Times Small Tech Business Directory reference tool of equipment and service providers, and NanoCon International, a leading industry tradeshow.

“PennWell is committed to the nanotechnology market,” said Christine Shaw, Senior Vice President, PennWell. “The value that Small Times brings to this market, along with our growing NanoCon International event, will continue to set the pace within this rapidly growing industry. As commercialization of products and technologies accelerates, we are the media that will feature these companies and their products and technologies.”

Barbara Goode can be reached at [email protected]