Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology (OIPT) announces a significant boost in the demand for its Ionfab® Ion Beam Etch and Deposition tools, with 2009 being the best year ever for sales of these systems. Orders for this flexible and versatile tool have been received both for R+D and production applications, from a range of customers worldwide.
These include Ionfab system sales to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, for R&D; Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden for ultra low temperature R&D etch; CEA LETI, Grenoble, France for R&D; and from a major manufacturer in China for an Ionfab500 System to undertake medium batch optical coating production.
Oxford Instruments’ Ionfab tool allows the flexibility to perform etch and /or deposition and consequently maximises system utilisation. Its specifications can be closely tuned to applications, enabling faster and repeatable process results, and offers functionality in multiple modes: Ion Beam Etching (IBE), Reactive Ion Beam Etching (RIBE), Chemical Assisted Ion Beam Etching (CAIBE), Ion Beam Sputter Deposition (IBSD) and Ion Assisted Sputter Deposition (IASD).
"OIPT is one of the few companies in our technology sector that has not only weathered the recession but also grown significantly. The strength of our product and process portfolio means that we are able to offer the customer superior technology, tailored to their needs", comments Mark Vosloo, Sales and Customer Service Director at OIPT, "Each of these Ionfab Ion Beam systems has been custom built for individual customer applications, from R&D to production, etch and deposition. Our versatility coupled with excellent uniformity and process results, mean that OIPT is increasingly becoming the supplier of choice for Ion Beam systems."