Ferdinand-Braun-Institut taps ClassOne’s S4

Located in Berlin, FBH is a III-V compound semiconductor research institute that develops microwave and optoelectronic devices for communications, energy, health, mobility and other industries. The Solstice S4's compact footprint and its configuration and multi-processing flexibility factored into the purchase decision, according to a press release issued by ClassOne. Other determinants for selecting the S4 included FBH’s prior experience with the company’s equipment and known customer service. The S4 joins the rest of ClassOne’s portfolio of products at the Berlin facility, including the Solstice S8, SAT, SST, and SRD systems. “We were looking for the right tool to optimize our metal lift-off processes, and we did a rigorous comparison of competitive equipment," said Olaf Krüger, head of FBH's Process Technology Department. "The Solstice S4 came out the winner, with superior performance in comparison demos. And one strong differentiator was ClassOne's unique face-down wafer processing design." ClassOne European Operations Director Roland Seitz said, "Our face-down processing has become a clear favorite in the compound semiconductor industry. It's an elegant design that does the job better and also eliminates fundamental problems common in other tools. For example, it prevents re-adhesion issues. After metal fragments and cross-linked photoresist have been dislodged, gravity simply pulls them away from the wafer surface and down the chamber drain – leaving the wafer surface clean."