Solmates’ Pulsed Laser Deposition: finally a manufacturing-ready deposition solution?
With over a decade of thin-film industry experience, Solmates launches its new high-volume-ready equipment platform to address a market dominated by established PVD suppliers.
- Arjen Janssens, CEO Solmates
- Bart Berenbak, Chief Business Development Solmates
- Cédric Malaquin, Technology & market analyst, RF devices & Technology, Yole Développment
- PVD alternative
- Pulsed Laser Deposition
- Solmates
- Novel material systems
- 5G trend
- 300mm wafer size
- SAW & BAW transducers
- RF MEMS devices and sensor
Speakers:
Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) is widely recognized for fabrication of thin-film complex oxides, nitrides, and highly-doped piezo materials. The More-than-Moore market needs novel material systems, and the 5G mega-trend boosts investments. The wafer fabrication equipment market has healthy CAGRs, and with its latest equipment platform Solmates intends to take a significant piece of the pie.
At SEMICON 2019, Solmates announced a new equipment platform. The simple message, “cluster compatible and up to 300mm wafers”, resonates in the manufacturing market. Less than one year later and coping with the Covid-19 pandemic, Solmates’ engineers and suppliers managed to deliver on their promise: three of the newest PLD systems have been built, and two are currently being installed at customer locations.
Parallel to equipment and application development, for example 5G connectivity applications, SAW & BAW transducers, and RF MEMS devices and sensors, Solmates has already engaged with multiple early adopters who realize that conventional PVD suppliers may not be able to keep pace with their future technology. Encouraged by this feedback, Solmates is now entering the next phase, aimed at qualification and ramp-up of their PLD with multiple manufacturing customers.