AMEC's Installed Base Reaches 400 Process Units
Milestone shipment goes to leading Taiwanese foundry; 400 process units (100 tools) include dielectric Etch, TSV Etch and MOCVD systems
SHANGHAI and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) today celebrated a major milestone: shipment of its 400th process unit (100-tool equivalent). The milestone order was for an advanced dielectric Etch tool. The customer is a leading foundry in Taiwan.
The 400 AMEC process units include dielectric and TSV Etch systems, as well as MOCVD tools used to manufacture light emitting diodes (LEDs) and power devices. They're installed at 33 customer fab sites. Semiconductor customers include IDMs and foundries in mainland China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, and Taiwan. They're using AMEC tools to manufacture devices at the leading edge, including critical Etch applications at nodes as low as 1xnm. Collectively, the tools have processed more than 21 million silicon wafers with consistently stable yield.
The installed base milestone shows steady adoption of AMEC's Etch and MOCVD technology. Since 2009, the company has recorded an average compound annual growth rate of 66 percent. Installations have climbed by 40 percent each year for the last four years. Year-over-year growth for 2014-15 is expected to be around 35 percent. The regions with the greatest number of AMEC tools are Taiwan and mainland China, with activities accelerating in Korea.
Last year, AMEC tools accounted for more than 75 percent of semiconductor capital equipment exported from China (front end, and back-end packaging), and 95 percent of equipment for high-end critical applications.
From its headquarters in Shanghai, AMEC first developed a novel dielectric Etch platform, the Primo D-RIE™, to offer global semiconductor manufacturers a cutting-edge solution with ultra-high productivity, excellent process quality, and low cost-of-ownership benefits. Over time, the Primo D-RIE family expanded, with each generation featuring innovations to address ever-tightening process specifications. Today, the advanced Primo SSC AD-RIE™ tool is being used to volume produce critical Etch applications at the 16nm node. The newest version is deployed in a pilot 3D V-NAND flash production line, as well as a foundry R&D line for 10nm logic devices. Dielectric Etch systems account for more than two-thirds of AMEC's total installed base.
As its market position in dielectric Etch strengthened, AMEC turned its Etch expertise to address fast-growing opportunities in MEMS and other packaging applications that called for a new class of TSV Etch technology. In 2012, the company introduced the Primo TSV™ Etch tool. With superior design and process capabilities, the tool offers the best Etch performance for advanced MEMS devices at the lowest cost of ownership. Today, the system commands dominant market share in China.
A smaller but growing share of AMEC's installed base is comprised of the company's MOCVD tool, the Prismo D-Blue™ which debuted in 2013. First installations went to leading LED manufacturing customers in mainland China and Taiwan. The fully automated tools are being qualified for LED mass production, with more than 100 lots continuously processing and demonstrating stable yield. The base is now expanding to include producers of power devices.
AMEC Chairman and CEO Gerald Z. Yin called the milestone shipment a proud moment for the AMEC team. He noted, "This is a tribute to the team's technology ingenuity and diligent work. It must also be said that competition from the world's premier equipment vendors keeps us on our toes and makes us re-commit daily to innovate compelling alternative technology solutions."
Yin continued, "Of course, we could not have reached this milestone without the enduring support of our valued customers. Many engagements involve joint development work where, by collaborating closely with technology teams, we can pivot fast to develop the right solution for challenging technology specs. We're pleased to be trusted partners in our customers' efforts to build the complex devices on which the world depends."
AMEC executives will be present at SEMICON West in San Francisco next week, July 14-16. The annual conference and tradeshow is the premier gathering for global semiconductor equipment industry professionals.
About Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC)
AMEC is China's leading provider of advanced process technology to global semiconductor manufacturers and others in adjacent energy-related sectors. The company is an entrenched supplier of dielectric and TSV Etch tools, helping tier-one customers build devices at process nodes as low as 1xnm. Today, AMEC has positioned more than 400 process units at 33 leading-edge fabs across Asia. Also, with its MOCVD tool, the company helps solid-state lighting manufacturers build today's most advanced LED products. To learn more about AMEC, please visit www.amec-inc.com.
SOURCE Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc.
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