EV Group (EVG), a leading
supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology
and semiconductor markets, today announced it has shipped an EVG520IS semi-automated
wafer bonding system and two EVG6200 automated alignment systems to King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Students at the
graduate-level institution will use the EVG equipment for advanced technology
research and development, including projects outsourced to KAUST from technology
firms in the region.
EVG's first customer headquartered in the Middle East, KAUST opened in September
2009 and boasts the largest, most modern cleanroom within the Arab states that
comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. A key win for the company, this order
is testament to EVG's ability to deliver world-class technology and customer
support for its customers centered in emerging new markets, particularly at
the R&D level. In the past year alone, EVG has received orders to support
a breadth of R&D and university-related projects from the University of
Texas at Arlington, the University of Michigan's Lurie Nanofabrication Facility,
the Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore, Europe's Imec, and the RFID/USN
Center in Korea.
KAUST chose the EVG equipment based on several key capabilities, chief among
them being the systems' modularity and flexibility. The university plans to
utilize one EVG6200 for bond alignment and nanoimprint lithography (NIL), and
the other for lithography mask alignment. According to Dr. Xixiang Zhang, Manager
of the Nanofabrication, Imaging & Characterization Core Lab of KAUST, "We
were impressed with the EVG systems' performance and ability to multitask, which
will be of great value in working on the variety of research projects that the
university is undertaking. Moreover, EV Group has proven its ability to provide
us with excellent onsite process and application support so that our local needs
can be met quickly and efficiently."
EV Group Executive Technology Director Paul Lindner noted, "Working with
KAUST is an important milestone for EVG, as technology activity in this region
of the world continues to expand. Moreover, working with this prestigious institution
marks a further step in our partnering with leading universities and research
firms around the world in their efforts to develop solutions to today's challenges
as well as explore advancements that will address future needs."
EV Group (EVG) is a world leader in wafer-processing solutions for semiconductor,
MEMS and nanotechnology applications. Through close collaboration with its global
customers, the company implements its flexible manufacturing model to develop
reliable, high-quality, low-cost-of-ownership systems that are easily integrated
into customers' fab lines. Key products include wafer bonding, lithography/nanoimprint
lithography (NIL) and metrology equipment, as well as photoresist coaters, cleaners
and inspection systems.
In addition to its dominant share of the market for wafer bonders, EVG holds
a leading position in NIL and lithography for advanced packaging and MEMS. Along
these lines, the company co-founded the EMC- 3D consortium in 2006 to create
and help drive implementation of a cost-effective through-silicon via (TSV)
process for major ICs and MEMS/sensors. Other target semiconductor-related markets
include silicon-on-insulator (SOI), compound semiconductor and silicon-based
power-device solutions.
Founded in 1980, EVG is headquartered in St. Florian, Austria, and operates
via a global customer support network, with subsidiaries in Tempe, Ariz.; Albany,
N.Y.; Yokohama and Fukuoka, Japan; Seoul, Korea and Chung-Li, Taiwan. The company's
unique Triple i-approach (invent - innovate - implement) is supported by a vertical
integration, allowing EVG to respond quickly to new technology developments,
apply the technology to manufacturing challenges and expedite device manufacturing
in high volume.