Buoyant Soitec sees Picogiga double revenue
Rising demand for both silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and GaN-on-silicon wafers has helped French substrate supplier Soitec to a record-breaking financial quarter.
Total sales for the three-month period ending June 30 were up 68% on the equivalent quarter in 2003 at €32.6 million ($40.5 million).
That was despite unfavourable currency fluctuations caused by the weakness of the dollar versus the Euro. Soitec estimates that the true rise in sales was actually 76%.
Although most of the revenue increase resulted from rising demand for SOI products, and in particular 300 mm diameter wafers, Soitec was also boosted by a strong pick-up in sales from its Picogiga subsidiary.
Picogiga sales of compound semiconductor substrates, including GaN-on-silicon wafers, shot up by 93% year-on-year to reach €1.6 million - more than the subsidiary s total sales in the entire first half of the previous fiscal year.
Previously focused on RF devices applications of its engineered substrates, Picogiga is now planning to target optoelectronic devices as well.
Soitec recently added two new members to its board of directors. Joining the company management with immediate effect on July 9 were: Joseph Martin, senior executive VP and vice chairman of the board at silicon and GaAs device manufacturer Fairchild Semiconductor; and Doug Dunn, president, CEO and chairman of the board of management at lithography giant ASML.