SUSS MicroTec

SÜSS MicroTec AG
Public
Industry Semiconductor
Founder Karl Suss
Headquarters Garching near Munich, Germany
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Dr. Franz Richter (President & CEO), Michael Knopp (CFO), Walter Braun (COO)
Products Mask Aligner, Coater, Wafer Bonder
Revenue 148.5 Million € (FY 2015)
Number of employees
 698 (FY 2015)
Website www.suss.com

SÜSS MicroTec AG is a supplier of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry and related markets. The high precision microstructuring systems like photolithography tools are used for manufacturing of processors, memory chips, MEMS, LED and other micro system devices.

SUSS MicroTec is headquartered in Garching bei München, Germany.

History

In 1949, Karl Süss founded the company Karl Süss KG to support sales and service for optical devices made by Ernst-Leitz GmbH, later Leica, in Munich, Germany. Then in 1963 the assignment by Siemens to develop a simple photolithography tool marked a change in the strategic direction of the company towards contract manufacturing and engineering. With the creation of the MJB3, the first mask aligner now exhibited in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, the company entered the emerging semiconductor industry. In addition to manual and automatic alignment equipment the product portfolio extended to systems for related wafer processing steps such as development, cleaning and wafer bonding. The company expanded into the global market with the foundation of its first overseas subsidiaries in the 1980s.

In 1999 under the holding SÜSS MicroTec AG, the SUSS group went public on the German stock exchange. In 2002 all subsidiaries were renamed SUSS MicroTec.

Organization

In 1980 a production site for wafer bonders was founded in Waterbury, Vermont, US, and in 1989, a production site opened for test systems in Sacka near Dresden, Germany. The acquisition of the French company S.E.T. in 1993 complemented the product portfolio with spin coaters and device bonders, the latter product line was phased out in 2007.

With the acquisition of Image Technology in Palo Alto, California, US, high precision photomasks were provided for the lithographic processes. In 2002 the foundation of SUSS MicroOptics in Neuchatel, Switzerland, brought forward wafer-level produced optical devices such as micro lenses.

With the sale of the test systems division and the purchase of HamaTech APE early in 2010, SUSS MicroTec not only expands its expertise in wet processes but further focuses its core competence on micro structuring of devices.

In 2012 SUSS MicroTec acquires Tamarack Scientific Co. Inc.. Tamarack develops, manufactures and distributes UV projection lithography systems as well as laser micro-structuring tools for the Advanced Packaging, 3D Integration, MEMS and LED markets.

The company has sales offices in the semiconductor markets of Japan, Taiwan, China, Singapore und Korea.

Products

Photomask Processing Equipment

Photomasks can be very expensive with up to several hundred thousands of US dollars. Thus cleaning photomasks is very important in the areas of lithography and mask manufacturing. Photomask processing equipment comprises post exposure bake, develop, strip and clean.

Mask Aligner (photolithographic alignment tool)

Mask aligners adjust a glass mask to a wafer with submicron precision. This is vital for the exposure process with which the microscopic picture on the glass mask is then transferred to the wafer. The SUSS MicroTec mask aligner also covers other process steps for wafer processing such as development of the resists and cleaning of the photo mask.

Coater

Coaters distribute photo sensitive resists onto the wafer. For this process various technologies and equipment can be used: spin coater using centrifugal forces or spray coater that allow for an even distribution of the resist also on three-dimensional structures.

Wafer Bonder (bond equipment)

Wafer Bonders join two or more aligned substrates to create an integrated circuit. The substrates can be joined, or bonded, using the following techniques: fusion bonding, anodic bonding, eutectic bonding, solder bonding, glass frit bonding, adhesive bonding. Temporary wafer bonding is performed on thinned wafers that are placed on a carrier for support. It gets its name because the adhesive used for bonding is removed. This process is used mainly to manufacture 3D Integrated Circuits. SUSS MicroTec produces equipment that supports all of these bonding techniques.

Microlens Arrays (micro-optical devices)

The microlens arrays manufactured by SUSS MicroTec's subsidiary SUSS MicroOptics are produced on wafer-level and are used for a large variety of applications such as illumination systems for semiconductor industry, telecommunication, metrology, imaging and laser industry.

Former CEOs

Frank P. Averdung and Dr. Per-Ove Hansson were hired from outside the group. Former CEOs include Dr. Franz Richter, Dr. Stefan Schneidewind, Frank P. Averdung, and Dr. Per-Ove Hansson

Alliances

SUSS MicroTec announced in 2009 a range of strategic partnerships with industry partners as well as leading research institutes such as IMEC and ITRI in the field of 3D integration.

SUSS MicroTec partnered with Philips Research for developing nanoimprint lithography processes.

References

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