Plasma etch, deposition and thermal wafer processing equipment maker SPTS Technologies Ltd of Newport, Wales, UK (a Bridgepoint portfolio company) has acquired XACTIX Inc of Pittsburgh, PA, USA, which is claimed to be the market-leading provider of xenon difluoride (XeF2)-based release etch technology.
Manufacturing micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices such as microphones, inertial sensors and RF switches, often requires a release etch step to remove a sacrificial layer in order to allow free movement of specific parts of the mechanical structure. By adding the XACTIX product line to its HF vapor phase release range, SPTS now supports release technologies for silicon/molybdenum/germanium and silicon oxide sacrificial layers. The firm says that both processes offer advantages over traditional wet etch solutions because they eliminate stiction between moving parts, which can make precision MEMS devices inoperable.
SPTS and XACTIX jointly developed the CVE single-wafer XeF2 release etch module and have shared sales/marketing channels over a number of years.
"Bringing XACTIX's technology and product portfolio into the SPTS family is a natural and logical step for us," says SPTS' president & CEO William Johnson. "This expands our product offering in MEMS release etch and adds to our MEMS toolbox," he adds.
"This evolution of the long-standing relationship between SPTS and XACTIX will expand our opportunities in the MEMS market, and provide our customers with an enlarged and comprehensive sales and support infrastructure," comments XACTIX's founder & chief technology officer Kyle Lebouitz.
XACTIX operations and personnel will now become part of SPTS' Release Etch Division, also based in Pennsylvania.
