PETALUMA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tegal Corporation, (NASDAQ:TGAL) an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices, today announced it has received an order from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems in Duisburg, Germany for a Tegal 200 SE™ DRIE system equipped with the new Tegal ProNova2™ reactor. The Tegal 200 SE DRIE system will be shipped and installed at the customer’s site in early CY2011, and will support Fraunhofer IMS’ mission to develop and produce microelectronic system solutions by combining mixed-signal ICs and integrated microsystems (MEMS) devices built using a state-of-the-art equipment set and “more than Moore” thinking.
The Tegal 200 SE silicon DRIE system order from this first-time Tegal DRIE customer is the result of a thorough competitive evaluation Fraunhofer IMS performed on a broad range of silicon DRIE tools and tool suppliers.
“The capabilities of the Tegal 200 SE are convincing for us due to the Tegal system’s demonstrated high deep silicon etch performance and high process flexibility, including oxide and isotropic silicon etch. We believe that this equipment excellently meets our needs for advanced MEMS development,” said Dr. Andreas Goehlich from the Fraunhofer IMS.
“Fraunhofer IMS is well-known for technological leadership in integrated microsystems, and we are very pleased to have received this important silicon DRIE tool order,” said Jim Apffel, DRIE Product Manager at Tegal Corporation. “We believe that our ProNova2 DRIE process module is the most advanced silicon DRIE process module on the market today for 200mm applications. As this order shows, we have been able to meet our customer’s demanding technical requirements for silicon DRIE performance, while providing excellent value along the way.”
The Tegal 200 SE™ is the best-adapted DRIE solution for 3D-IC and MEMS volume manufacturing today. The tool is designed to achieve high throughput with low Cost of Ownership in production applications, thanks to the combination of extended time between cleaning, minimal wafer edge exclusion, high silicon etch rates, excellent process stability and highly uniform etching.
The Tegal ProNova2™ reactor is targeted for fast-growing 200-mm MEMS and 3D-IC applications. It was built to out-perform the etch rates of comparative tools and to deliver industry-leading DRIE productivity and yield benefits. In addition to demonstrating sustained high etch rates, the new ProNova2™ reactor offers a three-fold improvement in ion uniformity over standard ICP sources. For some applications, the higher ion uniformity enables a 40-plus percent improvement in etch selectivity.
Tegal silicon DRIE tools are presently employed in numerous research and development laboratories throughout the world, engaging in both commercial and academic research programs, and are also found in MEMS foundries and other dedicated commercial High Volume Manufacturing lines world-wide.
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Except for historical information, matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements, which are based on assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "project" or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about the Company including, but not limited to industry conditions, economic conditions, acceptance of new technologies and market acceptance of the Company's products and services. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph. For a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Fraunhofer IMS
With profound competencies in the business areas of “CMOS Devices and Technology”, “Microsystems Development and Integration”, “Chip Design and ASIC Fabrication” as well as “Transponder Systems” Fraunhofer IMS in Duisburg covers the broad spectrum of industrial and automotive microelectronics. In addition, new solutions in the sector of Health & Senior Care are being tested and developed further in the Fraunhofer-inHaus-Center. As a member of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, with more than 200 people located at Duisburg, Germany, and an R&D budget of 22 Mio. €, Fraunhofer IMS carries out research, development and pilot fabrication of microelectronic solutions for industrial and public clients.
About Tegal Corporation
Tegal is an innovator of specialized production solutions for the fabrication of advanced MEMS, power ICs and optoelectronic devices found in products like smart phones, networking gear, and digital imaging. The Company’s plasma etch tools enable sophisticated manufacturing techniques, such as 3D interconnect structures formed by intricate silicon etch, also known as Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). Tegal combines proven expertise with practical system strategies to deliver application-specific solutions that are robust and reliable, and deliver exceptional process quality and high yields at a lower overall cost of ownership. Headquartered in Petaluma, California, the company has more than 35 years of expertise and innovation in specialized technologies, over 100 patents, and has shipped and installed more than 1900 systems worldwide. Please visit us on the web at www.tegal.com.