Skytech Inc. Poised for Record Growth with Advanced ALD and Etching Innovation

Skytech Inc., a leading Taiwanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer, is forecasting a milestone year in 2025, with anticipated revenue growth exceeding 20% year-on-year. The surge is driven by robust demand for advanced chip manufacturing and packaging solutions, including atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment and chip-on-wafer-on-substrate technologies. Skytech's innovative offerings, such as its highly customizable ALD systems and newly introduced etching solutions like Descum and Plasma Polish, are solidifying its position in the global semiconductor industry. With expanded clean room facilities and a strong product portfolio, Skytech continues to lead in cutting-edge semiconductor technologies while navigating geopolitical challenges with resilience.

Skytech Inc, a Taiwanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer, forecasts at least 20% year-on-year revenue growth in 2025, driven by strong demand for advanced chip manufacturing and new advanced packaging equipment. The company is expanding its clean room facilities in Hsinchu County to meet customer demand and has secured significant orders for atomic layer deposition equipment and tools used in advanced packaging technology, including chip-on-wafer-on-substrate solutions. In the first 10 months of 2024, Skytech’s revenue grew 18.33% to NT$1.69 billion, with net profit rising 64.15% year-on-year to NT$261 million. Semiconductor equipment contributes 50% of Skytech's revenue, while components and parts supply make up the remainder. With a 30% exposure to the Chinese market, Skytech is monitoring geopolitical tensions but remains unaffected by export restrictions.

Skytech develops and manufactures Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment. In 2019, the company designed its first ALD machine, named Atomila, marking its entry into the ALD equipment market.  Skytech's ALD systems are equipped with six chamber positions and are highly integrated with Equipment Front End Module systems. These systems offer customizable chamber configurations based on customer requirements and include options for pre-treatment or post-treatment of ALD depositions. Depending on temperature and plasma damage concerns, customers can choose between Thermal-ALD or Plasma-Enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) processes. The equipment features a patented gas inlet design and showerhead system to ensure excellent uniformity. Additionally, an optional automatic pick-and-place tool enables coating of different wafer sizes on a 12-inch platform, supporting fab automation.  In 2021, Skytech's ALD equipment was verified and adopted by Epistar, contributing to the commercialization of LED technologies.  

Skytech's ALD systems feature six chamber positions and are highly integrated with Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) for advanced automation. The systems offer customizable chamber configurations tailored to customer requirements and include optional treatment chambers for effective pre-treatment or post-treatment of ALD depositions. Users can choose between Thermal-ALD or Plasma-Enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) processes, depending on temperature and plasma damage concerns. The equipment is equipped with SECS/GEM protocols for seamless fab automation and incorporates a patented gas inlet design and showerhead system to ensure excellent uniformity. Additionally, an optional automatic pick-and-place tool enables coating of different wafer sizes on a 12-inch platform, further enhancing its suitability for automated semiconductor manufacturing.

Skytech's Powder ALD Tool is designed to extend the lifespan and enhance the stability of quantum dots (QDs) by applying Al₂O₃ passivation to protect against oxygen, moisture, and heat. Leveraging Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), the tool provides sub-nanometer precision and highly conformal coatings under gentle conditions, making it ideal for QD thin films. The tool features an optional ozone generator for diverse oxidation sources, a specialized flow field design for improved powder coating, a uniform chamber temperature maintained by a unique heater design, and support for three sets of precursor/co-precursor pipelines. It is specifically tailored for effective powder coating, ensuring optimal protection for QDs.

In 2023, the company introduced etching systems such as Descum and Plasma Polish, expanding its product line to meet market demands.  These etching solutions are designed to support various semiconductor manufacturing processes, enhancing Skytech's capabilities in the semiconductor equipment industry. 

Sources:

Skytech expects revenue to increase to all-time high - Taipei Times

"Micron to Produce Advanced Memory Chips in Taiwan Using EUV Lithography by 2025, Reinforces Commitment to Island's Semiconductor Industry"

Micron Technology is set to begin producing memory chips in Taiwan using advanced EUV lithography technology by 2025, ahead of its other production sites. The company's local division head, Donghui Lu, confirmed this move and emphasized that Taiwan remains a top investment destination for Micron. The collaboration with Japanese and Taiwanese companies facilitated the development of this technology. 

Micron's decision to produce HBM type memory in Taiwan highlights the island's significance in its operations, accounting for up to 65% of production volumes. The advantageous Taiwanese infrastructure and the company's commitment to geographic diversification contribute to its expanding and modernizing operations. This move underscores Micron's dedication to innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in the semiconductor industry.

Source: Aroged: Micron will begin producing memory in Taiwan using EUV lithography by 2025 - Aroged

ASM International Unveils Cutting-Edge Training Center in Tainan, Taiwan

Dutch semiconductor equipment leader ASM International NV has established a pioneering training center at the Southern Taiwan Science Park's Tainan branch to offer intensive training for over 100 engineers employed by its clients. This newly inaugurated facility is ASM's first training center in Taiwan and signifies a significant step in enhancing semiconductor expertise. With more than 50 percent global market share in atomic layer deposition (ALD), ASM's training center introduction aims to harness virtual reality technology for hands-on learning and precision semiconductor equipment mastery. The center is poised to propel innovation and foster synergies between Taiwan and the Netherlands, two pivotal players in the semiconductor industry.

The training center will leverage cutting-edge virtual reality technologies, allowing trainees to transcend conventional learning boundaries. The utilization of online courses coupled with virtual reality tools will empower engineers to grasp the intricate aspects of precision semiconductor equipment more effectively.

Guido Tielman, head of the Netherlands Office Taipei, highlighted the strategic collaboration between the Netherlands and Taiwan in shaping the global semiconductor landscape. He underscored the significance of this training center in fortifying ties and harnessing the immense business opportunities presented by the dynamic semiconductor sector.

This venture aligns with Taiwan's thriving semiconductor ecosystem, further enriched by the presence of other industry giants like ASML Holding NV, renowned for its extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) photolithography machines. The Netherlands, Taiwan, and ASM International are collectively poised to leverage their expertise to excel in the competitive global semiconductor market.

ASM International's state-of-the-art training center marks a pivotal moment in the advancement of semiconductor knowledge and technology. This strategic collaboration between the Netherlands and Taiwan is set to drive innovation, propel semiconductor advancements, and foster the development of highly skilled engineers, amplifying the capabilities of the global semiconductor industry.

Dutch IC equipment supplier opens training center in Tainan - Focus Taiwan

Finnish ALD equipment manufacturer Beneq has entered a partnership with Lung Pien Vacuum Industry Co., Ltd. in Taiwan.

Finnish ALD equipment manufacturer Beneq has partnered with Taiwan's Lung Pien Vacuum Industry to promote ALD technology for optical applications. They held a seminar to exchange knowledge and explore ALD solutions for mass production challenges. ALD is a process that deposits atomic thin films with advantages like large-area coverage and precise film thickness control. Beneq, a global leader in ALD equipment, introduced AtomGrassTM ALD, a wide-angle broadband anti-reflective coating. Lung Pien will provide Beneq's equipment and services to its optics customers in the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership aims to actively promote ALD coating technology for high-end curved lenses in Taiwan's optical market.

Finnish ALD equipment manufacturer Beneq has formed a partnership with Lung Pien Vacuum Industry, a prominent vacuum coating equipment manufacturer based in Taiwan. The collaboration aims to promote ALD technology for emerging optical applications, such as camera lenses for mobile phones and automobiles. In April, the two companies organized an "ALD Optical Coating" seminar in Taiwan, inviting major optical manufacturers to exchange knowledge and explore ALD solutions for mass production challenges. ALD is a deposition process that involves the formation of self-limited reactions between precursor gases and a substrate surface, resulting in atomic thin films with advantages like large-area coverage, high step coverage, low-temperature processing, and precise film thickness control.

Peter Hsieh (left standing), Beneq’s Advanced ALD Sales Director, and Kalle Niiranen (right standing), Technical Sales Manager, hosting the ALD Optical Coating seminar on the 20th of April in Taichung, Taiwan.

Beneq has been a pioneer in industrial ALD production since 1984 and has established itself as a global leader in ALD equipment manufacturing. The company offers a wide range of technical products and R&D services, with a focus on finding industrial ALD solutions through collaboration and co-development. Beneq recently introduced AtomGrassTM ALD, an innovative wide-angle broadband anti-reflective (AR) coating. This solution provides exceptional anti-reflective properties with less than 0.07% average reflectance across a wide wavelength range and significantly improves performance at high angles of incidence.

According to Peter Hsieh, Sales Director of Beneq's Advanced ALD Business Unit, the demand for ALD is increasing in the nano-processes of the integrated circuit industry. ALD has replaced traditional methods like CVD and PVD for many key thin-film processes. Hsieh believes that ALD's development is now closer to industrial-grade 12-inch mass production equipment, opening up excellent application opportunities in various fields, including optoelectronics, automotive, medical materials, and more.

Lung Pien Vacuum Industry, founded in 1991, has a longstanding relationship with the optical industry. The company offers a comprehensive range of services, including product design, development, equipment manufacturing, production planning, operator training, and process design consulting. While Lung Pien primarily focuses on vacuum evaporation and sputtering equipment manufacturing, thin film process technology services, and other related products, their partnership with Beneq will enable them to provide Beneq's ALD equipment and services to their extensive network of optics customers in the Asia-Pacific region. The collaboration between Beneq and Lung Pien aims to actively promote ALD coating technology for high-end curved lenses in Taiwan's optical market, leveraging ALD's ability to provide uniform conformal thin film layers for complex structures.

Picosun strengthens its presence in Southeast Asia

ESPOO, Finland, 24th June 2021 – Picosun Group extends its global sales and service partner network further by signing a partner agreement with Hermes-Epitek Corporation Pte. Ltd. Hermes-Epitek Corporation, headquartered in Taiwan, is one of the world’s largest high-tech equipment distributors. The company provides equipment for semiconductor and optoelectronic manufacturing, as well as tech services and parts sales.

“We look forward to cooperate as Picosun’s sales representative and external field service provider targeting both 8-inch and 12-inch ALD markets in all Southeast Asia countries”, states Teo Kim Leong, Director, Hermes-Epitek Corporation.

“Southeast Asia is one of Picosun’s important market areas, where the demand for industrial ALD solutions is constantly increasing. For almost ten years now, Picosun has successfully provided world leading ALD solutions to numerous customers and partners in both academies and industries in Southeast Asia. I’m happy that with the partnership with Hermes-Epitek Corporation we are able to serve our customers in the region even better”, says Edwin Wu, CEO, Picosun Asia Pte. Ltd.

Picosun provides the most advanced AGILE ALD® (Atomic Layer Deposition) thin film coating solutions for global industries. Picosun’s ALD solutions enable technological leap into the future, with turn-key production processes and unmatched, pioneering expertise in the field – dating back to the invention of the technology itself. Today, PICOSUN® ALD equipment are in daily manufacturing use in numerous leading industries around the world. Picosun is based in Finland, with subsidiaries in Germany, USA, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China mainland and Taiwan, offices in India and France, and a world-wide sales and support network. Visit www.picosun.com.

More information:

Edwin Wu

CEO

Picosun Asia Pte. Ltd.

Tel. +358 40 480 3449

Email: info@picosun.com

www.picosun.com