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The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) has awarded scia Systems the contract for an ion beam etching system.

The equipment is funded by BMBF within „Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland“ and it is primary intended for fabrication of metallic microstructures on semiconductor substrates. Depending on the metal to be etched and its position inside of a layer stack, the system uses inert gases, e.g. Argon, as well as reactive gases, or mixtures thereof.

We are pleased to deliver a scia Mill 300, designed for processing of 300 mm wafers, to Fraunhofer IZM. Core component of the system is a new developed ion beam source for those substrates sizes. With the further development of the existing product portfolio, scia Systems can better serve customer wishes for larger substrates.

Together with 30 project partners from 8 European countries scia Systems is working on the HiPERFORM - project to introduce wide band-gap power electronics in the drivetrain of electric vehicles. The main research objectives of the project are: cost reduction, energy efficiency, and less volume of the devices. Research will focus on both new materials and improved manufacturing processes, such as the cost-effective deposition of gallium nitride (GaN) by magnetron sputtering. The topic of scia Systems is the development of a substrate holder which meets the special requirements regarding temperature and process time.

The Institute of Solar Fuels of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) has awarded scia Systems the contract for a cluster coating system.

With the system the HZB will deposit nanostructured thin films for the fabrication of photoelectrodes, which are used for efficient fuel production by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The generation of such nanostructures requires layer coating by a particular PVD technique called glancing angle deposition (GLAD).

The scia Vario 100 implements the GLAD principle with a self-developed substrate holder in conjunction with an automatic slit aperture. Available process parameters involve tilting, rotation, and temperature control of the substrate holder. In addition, the distance to the coating source, as well as the slit width, and speed can be adjusted to reach the desired process results. The deposition takes place in separate process chambers using electron beam evaporation and dual ion beam sputter deposition (DIBD).

scia Systems is supplying a scia Trim 200 to the Canandaigua, NY manufacturing facility of Akoustis Technologies, Inc. Akoustis® is a RF filter solutions company manufacturing a unique, patented XBAW™ technology to produce single-crystal bulk acoustic wave (BAW) RF filters for mobile and other wireless markets.

The scia Trim 200 will be used to trim BAW devices precisely to specified frequencies, helping Akoustis to maximize yield, lower costs, and optimize quality. scia Systems provides not only systems, but award-winning service and technical support to help manufacturers reach their production goals.

scia Systems was awarded a contract by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center of Greenbelt, MD, USA to supply a scia Trim 200 for ion beam figuring.

The NASA GSFC has one of the nation's largest groups of scientists and engineers who build spacecraft, instruments, and develop new technology to study earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

The scia Trim 200 will be used for the finishing of mono-crystalline mirror substrates for X-ray telescopes. scia Systems is very much looking forward to working with NASA to enable further astronomical understanding of the universe.

scia Systems has been awarded the contract for a scia Coat 200 with ion beam etching and deposition technology by Sofradir, France. The Sofradir Group is the leading developer and manufacturer of infrared sensors for military, space, commercial, and industrial applications.
scia Systems is looking forward to deliver the scia Coat 200, which will be used for production and development of infrared sensors based on III-V semiconductor compound technology, to Sofradir.

In addition to our super runners, who once again this year gave their best, a creative team was at the start for the first time. With a lot of attention to detail and commitment, one of our enduring tested ion beam sources has been constructed for racing use. Reaching the second place did not only make the source shine, but also the members of the "Raketenigel" team.

We would like to thank the runners for the numerous participation and hope you had a nice sporty evening. We look forward to next year!

Together with the project partners scia Systems is working on the development of thin film and matching technologies for nanoscale acousto-electronics. The objective of the collaboration is to establish the pre-conditions for depositing and trimming of materials needed in the acousto-electronic industry as well as the development of required components. The topic of scia Systems is: trimming technologies and the development of components for manufacturing of nanoscale acousto-electronic devices.

scia Systems takes part in a joint project for the development of coated micro cutting tools based on nano wear-protection layers. The objective of the collaboration between industrial companies and R&D institutes is to provide a scientific-technical base for the reliable industrial use of ALD coatings (ALD - atomic layer deposition) and ion beam coatings (DIBD – dual ion beam deposition), in comparison to PVD coatings, as well as to define their field of application.

The School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Leeds has awarded scia Systems the contract for a new ion beam etching system. We are looking forward to delivering a scia Mill 150 to the university. This tool provides the flexibility needed to meet the diversified requirements of a multi-disciplinary research environment.