Online information source for semiconductor professionals

AIXTRON AG has purchased two GaNcat abatement systems to increase its already instated Edwards exhaust treatment system. The purchase is a noteworthy expansion in AIXTRON’s abatement capacity and will use the GaNcat systems in its R&D laboratory in Aachen, Germany to manage the exhaust generated by the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process. Read more >>

Entegris said as part of its third quarter financial results that it would be restructuring its two Chaska, Minnesota manufacturing facilities with the closure of the larger facility and the loss of 200 jobs or approximately 7 percent of the Company’s worldwide headcount. Read more >>

Critical components and sub-systems specialist, Ultra Clean Technology, is moving up the value chain with a deal that will see the company take over the building of Cascade Microtech's M150 probe station product line. Production of the M150 is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2008 with volume production planned for the first quarter of 2009. The 150mm stations will be supplemented with 200mm station construction at a future date, the company said. Read more >>

Entegris has said that it received regulatory approval for privately held Poco Graphite.The move extends Entegris’ push into related markets as well as increasing its business in the semiconductor industry. Read more >>

Graphite-based products specialist Poco Graphite is to be acquired by Entegris, following the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the privately-held company in an all-cash transaction valued at $158 million. According to Entegris, Poco generated revenues of more than $60 million, of which approximately 40 percent was from sales to semiconductor-related customers. Read more >>

Asyst Technologies has announced its receipt of a tool order to the value of approximately $15 million over a 12-18 month implementation period.. The order, which comes from an unnamed major IC manufacturer, will see the installation of Asyst’s Spartan Integrated Sorter in four different fabs, replacing equipment installed by a rival in the same locations, according to the company. Read more >>

Entegris has established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Bangalore, India to provide support of the company’s product portfolio for the photovoltaics and microelectronics industries. Entitled Entegris Materials Integrity India Pvt. Ltd., the division will be led by Badarish Appanna, and will incorporate support for activities such as wafer and mask handling and shipping, subsystem and fluid handling products and finished electric products. Read more >>

SAES Getters S.p.A. has announced its merger with Memry Corporation in a 100% equity takeover agreement valued at approximately $77.7 million. Memry Corp., a manufacturer of nitinol-based and polymer-based next generation products for the medical device industry, have agreed to the takeover, which will see the formation of a new Delaware-based company owned by SAES Getters International Luxembourg S.A. Read more >>

Celerity, Inc. has opened a new manufacturing facility in Singapore, entitled Celerity Fluid Systems Pte. Ltd. Located in the Woodlands Industrial Park area in northern Singapore, the 17,000 square foot facility will house integration and manufacturing of the company’s advanced gas delivery systems, among others. Initial shipments from the new facility are expected in August 2008. Read more >>

VLSI Research, the industry market research firm, has said that critical subsystems suppliers that provide components and larger integrated systems to semiconductor and photovoltaic equipments suppliers saw sales boosted by the growth in the PV industry and sales in the flat panel sector as revenues in semiconductor were lacklustre in 2007. Read more >>