INDUSTRY NEWS

EXPANSIONS AND ACQUISITIONS

Vendors to unveil 300-mm pod

Fluoroware and Daifuku are set to unveil the prototype of an integrated pod and load-port interface for processing 300-mm wafers. Chaska, MN­ based Fluoroware is making the front-opening pod, and Tokyo-based Daifuku is manufacturing the tool load-port. The two vendors are committed to making a beta system available this July for customer evaluation. Stan Geyer, Fluoroware's president and CEO, says his firm's goal is to offer 300-mm pods and identification technologies that are compatible with the leading automation systems on the market. Daifuku, Geyer notes, is a leading supplier of automated material-handling systems and system integration. The joint agreement calls for the vendors to support an open-architecture strategy beyond the scope of the pact.

Hoechst unit to expand

Hoechst AZ Photoresist Products will break ground early next year on a $43-million expansion of its manufacturing site in Branchburg, NJ. The 90,000-sq-ft plant will be built next to an existing 48,000-sq-ft facility. Eventually, all manufacturing operations will be transferred to the new building. The vendor's sales in 1996 were approximately $200 million.

Veeco buys media unit

Veeco Instruments of Plainview, NY, has purchased the media and magnetics applications division of Materials Research Corp. (MRC) for an undisclosed sum. Located in Orangeburg, NY, the unit is developing PVD sputtering equipment used in advanced MR thin-film head and magnetic disk fabrication. Systems are undergoing beta tests at several U.S. and Japanese thin-film head manufacturers, Veeco says. Shipments of the new systems are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. The vendor hopes to tap into a global market for thin-film magnetic head deposition gear that will exceed $100 million annually. The acquisition was expected to result in a one-time pretax charge of between $3.5 million and $4.5 million in the quarter ended June 30 because of a write-off of in-process R&D.

ATMI swaps for Lawrence

Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (ATMI), has acquired Lawrence Semiconductor, a manufacturer of epitaxial thin films, in a stock swap valued at $78 million. Headquartered in Mesa, AZ, Lawrence will become a subsidiary of Danbury, CT­based ATMI, which manufactures advanced semiconductor materials and environmental equipment. Duncan Brown, president of ATMI's Epitronics subsidiary, will take over operational responsibilities for Lawrence. Monte Lawrence, the principal owner of Lawrence Semiconductor, will join ATMI's board of directors and serve as a consultant to the new subsidiary.

MGC ups HP output

MGC Pure Chemicals America will double annual hydrogen peroxide production at its plant in Mesa, AZ, to 10,000 metric tonnes. The supplier will also introduce a higher grade of ultra-high-purity HP. The company opened the 20,000-sq-ft HP purification facility in May 1996. The plant produces two grades of the chemical, one with trace metal impurities <1 ppb and the other with trace metal impurities <100 ppt. The new grade will produce HP with trace metal impurities <10 ppt.

Photomask tool set for tests

Photronics will conduct beta-site tests of Etec's next-generation laser pattern generation system at its photomask manufacturing facility in Austin, TX. The Etec tool is capable of imaging photomask substrates as large as 9 in. The system's architecture enables it to make the most of leading-edge i-line resists, according to Photronics. The vendor believes that the tool could improve measured image placement accuracy by 50% over previous pattern-generation systems, making it suitable for production of ICs with linewidths of 0.25 µm and smaller.

Asahi buys meter biz

Valve and piping manufacturer Asahi/America acquired the plastic flowmeter division of Universal Flow Monitors for an undisclosed sum. The purchase enhances Asahi's own product line of vortex flowmeters, which are designed for ultra-high-purity-water applications. Their corrosion resistance also makes the meters attractive to the chemical industry, which is responsible for 46% of the world market, according to Asahi. The vendor cites statistics forecasting the market for the meters, currently at $154 million, to grow at a 5 to 7% compound annual rate over the next five years. The Malden, MA­based company plans to add sales staff to target the semiconductor industry and other industries requiring vortex flowmeter applications. The company also plans to integrate manufacturing of Universal's vortex products into its recently enlarged Massachusetts plant.

MicroHome | Search | Current Issue | MicroArchives
Buyers Guide | Media Kit