In brief: Molecular Imprints, MBE award, Anadigics
$17 million raised by Molecular Imprints
Imprint lithography equipment supplier Molecular Imprints (MII) has raised $17 million in Series C financing.
The Austin, TX, company says that it plans to raise a total of $25 million in the current round. MII's products can be used to make a wide variety of semiconductor devices, including LEDs.
Investors in Series C included Dai Nippon Printing Company, whose photomasks MII uses, as well as Alloy Ventures, Motorola Ventures and others.
MII's chief executive Norm Schumaker said: "We are committed to delivering on our mission of enabling nanoscale manufacturing in markets such as nano-devices, LEDs for solid-state lighting, and others."
MBE award goes to Springthorpe
The 2005 MBE Innovator Award, which is sponsored by equipment vendor Veeco Instruments, has been won by Tony Springthorpe from the Institute of Microstructural Sciences in Canada.
The North American MBE organization made the award at its conference in Santa Barbara earlier this month.
Springthorpe is credited with making pioneering contributions to in situ monitoring and control of the epitaxial growth process.
In particular, this includes the development of narrow optical-bandwidth pyrometry to measure growth rates on large rotating substrates, and to monitor the pre-growth oxide desorption process. Both techniques have been adopted in MBE production.
Springthorpe was presented with a $3000 honorarium and a plaque.
Anadigics ups guidance on strong sales
Stronger-than-expected GSM product sales have prompted RFIC manufacturer Anadigics to raise its guidance for the current quarter.
The Warren, NJ, company now expects to post $28 million-$29 million in net sales, which would represent a 10 per cent improvement on the previous estimate and a sequential growth rate of around 20%.
