Online information source for semiconductor professionals

Perfluoroelastomer sealing components specialist, Applied Seals North America has signed-up Korean distributor Zeus to provide local sales and applications support. The move means Applied Seals now has distributors in Europe, Israel and South Korea. Read more >>

According to the Financial Times, and quoting CEO, Nigel Hunton, vacuum pump specialist Edwards is to shift its hi-technology manufacturing to a plant in South Korea and its chemical and pharmaceutical technologies to the Czech Republic. However, R&D will continue at its plant in Shoreham, UK. According to the report, 220 jobs will be lost in the UK due to the transfer of production. Read more >>

Ultra Clean Holdings reports its financial results for the third quarter of 2009 with revenue and gross margin increases in comparison to the second quarter results from this year. Revenue for the quarter was US$41.3 million, up 78% while the gross margin was 7.9%, compared to 3.7% for the second quarter of 2009. Read more >>

At a cost of €20 million, Pfeiffer Vacuum now has new state-of-the-art vacuum pump manufacturing and logistics facilities that are designed to optimise production and customer support operations. Now located in 30,000 m² of covered area in Asslar, Germany are two cutting-edge production lines and a new Logistics Center situated in the middle. The Logistics Center, employs 6,000 bin spaces and a high-bay warehouse with 1,200 pallet spaces. The aim is to deliver every order in the form of a single package in the future. Read more >>

The improving semiconductor capital equipment market has permeated through to component and sub-systems supplier, Ultra Clean Holdings, which has revised upward its expected revenue for its third quarter financial results. Ultra Clean now expects revenue of between US$39 and US$41 million, compared to previous guidance of US$30 and US$36 million. The company still expects to post a lost for the quarter, but expects this to be lower than previously guided on the back of increased sales. Read more >>

Applied Seals North America has broken into the European market with its appointment of a Europe-based product distributor, namely, Semiconductor Parts and Materials (SPM). SPM will distribute Applied Seals’ perfluoroelastomer sealing components and o-rings and will also be on hand to deliver service support to European customers. Read more >>

Claiming to be a key differentiator of manufacturing, Taiwan-based GMORS and DV Consulting have launched Applied Seals North America, Inc., which claims to package all of its perfluoroelastomer-based semiconductor equipment chamber seals in a Class 100 cleanroom. Read more >>

Carl Zeiss SMT has designated Varian Vacuum Technologies as a Supply Chain Partner. Varian Vacuum becomes the 7th supply partner, which entails closer collaboration on future technologies required by Carl Zeiss SMT. Varian Vacuum has long supplied vacuum solutions for the electron microscopes of Carl Zeiss. Read more >>

Brooks Instrument, a flow measurement and control instrument provider, has acquired Key Instruments, Inc., a company which offers precision machined acrylic flow meters, molded plastic flow meters, glass tube flow meters, electronic flow meters for medical, industrial, water, chemical and laboratory applications.  The Key Instruments name will remain, as well as the facility in Trevose, Pennsylvania.  The deal’s terms were not made public. Read more >>

Critical subsystems supplier Ultra Clean Holdings is continuing to consolidate manufacturing operations in the U.S. and shift additional manufacturing to Asia to reduce operating costs as its major customers see significant order declines in semiconductor, solar, and flat panel markets. Read more >>