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SEZ Acquires Critical Drying Technology in Strategic Move to Offer Full-Service Wet Wafer Preparation Solutions
VILLACH, Austria-June 10, 2002 - Wet wafer surface preparation leader, the SEZ Group, (SWX: SEZN) announced the acquisition of US-based private company, L-Tech Corporation, a manufacturer of drying equipment for batch wafer processing. The acquisition complements the wet bench product set acquired by SEZ last year, and is a strategic move to completing its portfolio of wet wafer surface preparation products for all 200 mm and 300 mm wafer applications.
According to corporate board spokesperson and chief marketing officer Kurt Lackenbucher, the acquisition is a key step in SEZ becoming a true single-source for all wet processing applications. With the addition of L-Tech's drying technology, engineering know-how and intellectual property, SEZ no longer must rely on outsourcing this technology from third-party vendors, and therefore can offer better time-to-market and cost-competitive advantages to its customers as well as technological enhancements.
"L-Tech will provide SEZ with a unique drying technology critical to batch wafer processing," commented Lackenbucher. "Ownership of this technology versus licensing it from competitors improves SEZ's competitiveness and price structure. Only the larger players own both the benches and the drying capability - SEZ can now compete with these companies head-to-head. The company has set out a strategy to become a full systems provider for all wet wafer processes, sustaining high growth and profitability, and this transaction increases SEZ's independence and allows further execution of this strategy."
L-Tech's tools are used for post wet cleaning to dry the wafer using IPA (isopropyl alcohol). Traditionally, wet processes have only been cost effective when performed using large 25- and 50-wafer batches. In fact, today more and more processes are requiring even larger batches of 100 and 150 wafers in order to be cost effective. However, with the continuing trend towards single-wafer, L-Tech is currently developing several wafer cleaning and drying technologies for single-substrate processing.
With conventional batch processing expected to remain effective for high-volume products, especially memory markets, SEZ has already announced plans to add 300 mm wet bench capability to its product portfolio in the coming months, where L-Tech's drying technology will be a key technological advantage to SEZ's batch wafer processing product line. The company's first generation of 300 mm equipment will focus on pre-clean FEOL (pre-diffusion clean, RCA clean, pre-gate clean) and etching (nitride etch) with the capability of spiking and diluted chemistries.
Former L-Tech, now fully integrated into the SEZ Group, was founded and had their first patent issued in 1997. The founders Tim Gens and Gary Ferrell plus all additional five employees will remain in the SEZ organization. L-Tech's first commercial product, the "AVID" vaporless dryer, is the only worldwide, commercially available drying alternative to the marangoni dry. The patented process is vastly simpler, safer and more reliable than all other IPA-based dryers. AVID has been designed and optimized for silicon, gallium arsenide, and III-V wafer drying for semiconductor applications.
About SEZ
The SEZ Group is a leading supplier of wet wafer surface preparation equipment to the global semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company's proprietary Spin-Processor technology (single wafer technology) as well as its wet bench equipment for batch processing forms the basis of a broad equipment solution portfolio for wafer cleaning and decontamination. SEZ maintains development, manufacturing, sales, marketing and service operations in Europe, Asia and North America. Registered in Zurich, Switzerland, SEZ Holding AG is listed on the Swiss Exchange under the symbol SEZN since 1996.
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