SPTS installs new machinery at CEA-Leti

Installed at CEA-Leti' facility in Grenoble, France, the Monarch300 joins the 200 and 300mm etch, CVD and PVD systems previously supplied by SPTS and which are already operational in CEA-Leti's MEMS and packaging lines. "The co-integration of MEMS and CMOS has the potential to create a new family of sensors with improved performance," said Kevin Crofton, President of SPTS and Corporate Vice President at Orbotech. "The Monarch 300 uses our patented Primaxx vapor HF etch technology and is capable of processing thirteen 300mm wafers simultaneously. NEMS and MEMS are at the core of CEA-Leti's activities, and we are pleased to be able to supply this highly valued partner with additional capability to support its 300mm MEMS program." Marie-Noëlle Semeria, CEO of Leti and President of the Nanoelec RTI board, commented: "MEMS devices co-integrated with CMOS help Leti achieve a long-standing goal of enabling smaller and more powerful sensors and actuators, without exceeding power budgets." SPTS and CEA-Leti entered into a two-year agreement that will encompass full performance characterisation and process optimization of both the 200mm and 300mm vapor HF process modules.