News in brief: Veeco, Optolum and Anadigics
Veeco Instruments has purchased the atomic force microscope (AFM) probe business of NanoDevices Inc. (Santa Barbara, CA). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Don Kania, president of Veeco, said, "This strategic technology acquisition will help Veeco provide its customers with probes designed specifically to maximize the performance of Veeco s AFM instruments, and will accelerate our development of new AFM products where innovative probe technology can be the critical element."
Optolum awarded heat removal LED patent
Optolum, a developer of white LED-based lighting products, has been awarded a patent related to heat removal from densely packaged LEDs. US patent number 6,573,536 describes LEDs mounted on an elongated support that is thermally conductive, for example a hollow tube through which air can be passed to assist with thermal cooling.
Anadigics receives two patents relating to wafer processing
Anadigics has received two new patents relating to the improvement of its semiconductor manufacturing processes. The patents are for a newly developed wafer demount gas distribution tool (US patent number 6,470,946) and for a wafer demount receptacle for separating the thinned wafer from the mounting carrier (US patent number 6,491,083).
During semiconductor manufacture, the wafer undergoes a number of processing steps where it may be exposed to potentially aggressive conditions such as chemical and physical contact, pressure, and temperature.
The wafer is mounted onto a carrier which provides support and stability during processing, and at the end of the process it has to be demounted without causing damage to the wafer.
Anadigics wafer gas demount distribution tool will be used during the demounting process to help aid the separation of the wafer from the carrier.
