Ev Group witnesses rise in order intake and increase in demand for services

EV Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today announced it is witnessing continued momentum during its fiscal year 2009 as the company moves through its third quarter, ending June 30. Specifically in North America, EVG is already seeing an increase in order intake-approximately 10 percent compared to this time last year. The rise in intake is attributed to growing demand for 3D/TSV-related equipment for volume manufacturing along with heightened orders from research institutes, such as SEMATECH, and leading universities.

Also contributing to the increase is a more than two-fold growth in EVG's North American service business compared to the prior year. At its Tempe, Arizona-based facility, the company offers pilot production services in cooperation with locally-based companies, such as Entrepix-a leading provider of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and related wafer surface conditioning foundry and equipment services. EVG's service offering supports R&D efforts as well as low-volume needs for both small and large companies, essentially mitigating investment risks while continuing to innovate.

"Despite the downturn, we are continuing to see positive momentum in the market. While no one is buying capacity, the growth we're witnessing indicates that no one has stopped investing in technology, primarily for cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D/TSV. They are simply approaching the environment more cautiously, and are evaluating various avenues to avoid costly investment risks, which is why we are seeing a significant rise in demand for our pilot line production service," said EV Group's vice president and general manager, North America, Steven Dwyer. "What's more, through this tough economic time, we're seeing a pivotal shift in the industry, where equipment suppliers and research institutions and universities alike are beginning to rally together and work in greater collaboration in preparation for when the market rebounds. This movement toward increased partnership is very much in line with what is engrained in EVG's business-a relentless commitment to fueling innovation."

SEMICON West

EVG is exhibiting at SEMICON West, July 14-16, 2009 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif., USA. Editors and analysts interested in learning more about the company, the key highlights and/or new developments (noted below) are invited to visit EVG's booth #5547 (North Hall).

Key Highlights & Developments

Recent Announcements

- Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL): Company launches EVG770 Gen II NIL Stepper at SEMICON West (July 13)
- Partnership with SEMATECH's 3D Interconnect Program: SEMATECH purchases wafer bonder for leading-edge 3D/TSV research (July 9)
- Wafer Bonder: EVG introduces an all-new, low-cost wafer bonder, the EVG501, for R&D market (June 9)

VLSI "THE BEST" Awards Recipient: EVG named among top 5 of the world's "THE BEST" small suppliers of wafer processing equipment-an accolade received for the past seven consecutive years.

Test, Assembly & Packaging TechXPOT Presentation: Thorsten Matthias, Director of Technology of EV Group North America will be presenting at "The 3D TSV Revolution, It's More Than Just Stacking!" session on Wednesday, July 15 at 3:00-3:20 p.m. The discussion will focus on, "Thin Wafer Handling and Chip Stacking for 3D Integration".

BrightSpots 3D IC Forum: Paul Lindner, Executive Technology Director of EV Group, is one of the panelists among the all-star lineup of speakers on the online forum held July 6-24. To join this unique, extended discussion on all things 3D, please visit: www.semineedle.com/MCA3DIC.

EV Group Technology Days: The company is launching a technology road show in North America. Set to take place over the span of November 10-19, EVG will be visiting Boston, Mass.; Dallas, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; and San Jose, Calif. Please visit: www.evg-techdays.com for updates.