Argonne National Laboratory Installs Forge Nano’s Prometheus ALD tool to enable next gen ALD research and innovation.

[Press release, Forge Nano, LINK] LOUISVILLE, CO., October 2019 — Delivery and installation of Forge Nano’s industry leading, lab-scale ALD tool- Prometheus has been completed.

Forge Nano’s Prometheus tool is a lab-scale R&D tool designed to make ALD research approachable and affordable. The Prometheus series of ALD tools have been designed to be the world’s most robust, flexible, and economical ALD tools available. Designed with the lab environment in mind, applying nanoscale encapsulating coatings on milligrams to kilograms of powders has never been more attainable. It can also be used to coat small objects.

The Prometheus system accommodates up to 8 precursors, including basic delivery and low vapor pressure delivery draw systems to handle gas, liquid, and solid precursor recipes with ease. (www.foregnano.com)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory recently commissioned Forge Nano to build and install their revolutionary ALD tool- Prometheus. The Prometheus tool will extend Argonne’s expertise and capabilities to perform a broader range of cutting-edge ALD research on site in a safe, consistent, and reliable manner.

Prometheus features:

• Largest capacity and throughput. The Prometheus tool is the only commercially available fluidized bed atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool that can process up to 1 kg batches of cathode.
• Swappable reactor sizes to precisely coat milligrams to kilograms of material
• Proprietary fluidization aids (jet assist) that enable fluidization and ALD deposition on powders that cannot be successfully and conformally coated on other systems.
• Inert isolation and handling capabilities of substrates.
• Proprietary precision-dosing design that allows for higher precision and repeatability of precursor dosing than other equipment on the market
• Non-discriminant precursor capabilities that allows for precursor types and sizes that other equipment cannot accommodate.

Forge Nano’s is uniquely positioned in the market to enable scale-up from lab to manufacturing so that developed IP has a pathway to commercialization. Our line of tools covers the entire product cycle, from R&D, to pilot scale, to complete manufacturing implementation. Forge Nano’s team of ALD experts guide our customers through the entire process, making ALD feasible for nearly any industry.

“We are excited to see Prometheus installed at Argonne National Laboratory adding to their world-class ALD capabilities. We cannot wait to see the new and exciting innovations that the team at Argonne will develop, using our technology and tools.” –Dr. Paul Lichty

Advanced Energy Announces Grand Opening of State-of-the-Art Advanced Materials Processing Showcase Lab Near Frankfurt

FORT COLLINS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2019-- Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS) – a global leader in highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions – is pleased to announce the grand opening of its Advanced Materials Processing (AMP) Showcase Lab near Frankfurt, Germany. Located in Karlstein am Main, the state-of-the-art facility includes office space and lab space for plasma deposition and materials characterization. The lab will serve as a central hub for AE product demonstrations and customers’ plasma deposition research and development activities, providing a superior experience for thin film developers. 

AE’s plasma lab multi-chamber inline coater showing substrate carrier and vacuum load lock in the foreground and with various gas handling cabinets and AE’s power supplies in racks in the background. This equipment includes but is not limited to planar and rotatable dual magnetron sputtering (DMS), and has plasma etch pre-cleaning capability. Various substrate sizes from small experimental coupons (e.g. glass, sapphire, silicon and more) up to 500x600 mm2 rectangular sheets (e.g. glass, plexiglass, plastic, metal and more) can be utilized. (Photo: Business Wire)

View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191210005367/en/

Global Semiconductor Equipment Sales Forecast – 2020 Rebound, 2021 Record High

[Press release, Semi, LINK] TOKYO – December 11, 2019 – Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales will drop 10.5 percent to $57.6 billion in 2019 from last year’s historic peak of $64.4 billion but stage a 2020 recovery and set a new high in 2021, SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, reported today in its Year-End Total Equipment Forecast. 

Released at SEMICON Japan 2019, the forecast shows equipment sales registering a 5.5 percent increase to $60.8 billion in 2020 and continued expansion into 2021, with record revenues of $66.8 billion as leading device manufacturesinvest in sub-10nm equipment, especially for foundry and logic.

The SEMI year-end forecast shows sales of wafer fab equipment – consisting of wafer processing, fab facility and mask/reticle equipment – falling 9 percent in 2019 to $49.9 billion. The assembly and packaging equipment segment is on track to decline 26.1 percent to $2.9 billion in 2019, while semiconductor test equipment is forecast to drop 14.0 percent to $4.8 billion this year.

Taiwan will dethrone Korea as the largest equipment market and lead the world with 53.3 percent growth this year, followed by North America with a 33.6 percent uptick. China will maintain the second spot for the second consecutive year, and Korea will fall to third after throttling back capital expenditures. All regions tracked except Taiwan and North America will contract this year.

SEMI expects the 2020 equipment market recovery to be fueled by advanced logic and foundry, new projects in China, and, to a lesser extent, memory. In Europe, equipment sales will surge 45.9 percent to $3.3 billion. Taiwan is forecast to remain the top equipment market next year on the strength of $15.4 billion in sales, with China second at $14.9 billion and Korea third at $10.3 billion. More upside is likely if the macroeconomy improves and trade tensions subside in 2020.

In 2021, all sectors tracked are expected to grow and the memory spending recovery will hit full stride. China is expected to ascend to the top position with equipment sales of more than $16 billion, followed by Korea, and Taiwan.

The Year-End Total Equipment Forecast is based on SEMI's industry-recognized World Fab Forecast database and input from equipment manufacturers. Total equipment includes wafer processing, fab facilities, mask/reticle, total test, and assembly and packaging equipment.

The following results reflect market size in billions of U.S. dollars.