News: Suppliers
21 September 2023
Plasma-Therm acquires Thin Film Equipment
Plasma-Therm LLC of St Petersburg, FL, USA (which makes plasma-process equipment for the semiconductor and compound semiconductor markets) has acquired Thin Film Equipment SrL (TFE) of Binasco, Milan, Italy, which supplies physical vapor deposition (PVD) sputtering and evaporation process equipment and high-purity materials for thin-film applications.
“The acquisition of TFE reinforces Plasma-Therm’s expanding footprint in Europe, a pivotal component of our long-term strategic growth initiative,” says Plasma-Therm’s CEO Abdul Lateef. “It also helps to significantly expand Plasma-Therm’s portfolio in the power device market with TFE’s suite of PVD tools tailored to meet the requirements of MEMS, power, RFID and other semiconductor applications.”
Complementing its existing etch and deposition products and process solutions, Plasma-Therm says that TFE’s PVD technologies enhance its ability to meet a wider spectrum of semiconductor manufacturing and R&D market demands. The added value of TFE’s workforce expertise in PVD technology and power device market requirements further strengthens Plasma-Therm’s customer service and support teams, it adds.
The power semiconductor market will grow to $6.3bn by 2027, according to market research firm Yole Group’s ‘Power SiC 2022’ report. Plasma-Therm reckons that it is positioned to support this growth with the acquisition of TFE and the MRC Eclipse product line, which is used for depositing metal for interconnects, via fill, silicides, packaging (C4, die attach), and other processes.
“While TFE will continue to operate independently, we will work closely with Plasma-Therm to combine our strengths in plasma and PVD process technology for a more comprehensive product offering for our customers,” says TFE’s CEO Francesco Terenziani. “The acquisition will enable us to expand our R&D resources and customer service & support teams globally to deliver timely solutions to our valued customers.”
