Picosun ALD fills gap in MEMS devices

FINLAND: Picosun Oy, leading atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment manufacturer has expanded its central role in the field of European semiconductor manufacturing by taking part in a yet new international R&D project, Lab4MEMS.

The project started 1st January, 2013 and will run for two and a half years. Lab4MEMS is Picosun's fifth simultaneous European funded R&D project and strengthens directly the company's core competencies in the field of semiconductors, IC (integrated circuits) and electronics.

MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) devices are amongst ALD's most central application areas and Picosun has been a forerunner in integrating ALD technology to MEMS manufacturing since the company was founded. Indeed, nowadays PICOSUN ALD systems are used by many production customers to whom the company's technology is in a key role in their MEMS manufacturing process.

The number of these customers can only be expected to increase radically in the near future when the MEMS market has been predicted to double to $21 billion by 2017 (Yole Développement).

The core objectives of the 28-million euro project Lab4MEMS are development of novel, innovative manufacturing methods for MEMS materials, packaging technologies for state-of-the-art MEMS devices, sensors and actuators, and techniques for advanced 3D packaging. MEMS and sensor technologies, in addition to other nanoelectronics applications and nanotechnology in general, have been identified as one of the KETs (key enabling technologies) behind Europe's industrial success so the project Lab4MEMS can be expected to have a truly significant impact as a supporter of the continent's industrial competitiveness and sustainability in the near future.

Lab4MEMS is co-ordinated and managed by one of the leading MEMS manufacturers, STMicroelectronics s.r.l. (Italy).

"We at Picosun are proud to take part in a project such as Lab4MEMS. The objectives are truly significant and we are happy to be able to utilize our leading position and groundbreaking know-how in integrating ALD technology to MEMS manufacturing," states Juhana Kostamo, MD of Picosun.

Picosun Oy is a Finland-based, globally operating manufacturer of state-of-the-art ALD systems, representing continuity to almost four decades of pioneering, exclusive and groundbreaking ALD reactor design and manufacturing. PICOSUN ALD systems are in daily production and R&D use in numerous prominent industries and research organizations across the world.