Semiconductor process equipment maker SAMCO Inc of Kyoto, Japan is employing about 20 more people at its locations in North America, China, Taiwan and Singapore, as well as its subsidiary Samco-UCP in Liechtenstein, in order to better provide services and support to overseas customers.
"Increasing the number of Samco employees abroad is part of the company's larger strategy to optimize our current sales structure while actively growing our customer base across the globe," says president, chairman & CEO Osamu Tsuji.
Samco offers systems and services that revolve around three major technologies, namely thin-film deposition with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) systems; microfabrication with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching, reactive ion etching (RIE) and deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) systems; and surface treatment with plasma cleaning and ultraviolet (UV) ozone cleaning systems.
"We've seen an increase in laser diode, MEMS and power device-related inquiries from abroad," says Tsuji. "Systems for research and development at universities and research institutions, which is an area Samco specializes in, are also in high demand," he adds.
This includes India, where the growing economy is expected to accelerate in the future. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay recently installed a DRIE system and collaborated with Samco to host the firm's first thin-film technology workshop in the country. Samco is currently considering offering internships to students at IIT Bombay and has started gathering a team that will focus on cultivating the Indian market, Tsuji says.
Future goals include doubling the firm's on-site staff by July 2018, discussing the possibility of new locations in the future, and ensuring that its overseas sales encompass at least 50% of total net sales within the next 2-3 years. "Semiconductor equipment manufacturers' overseas sales generally account for around 70% or 80% of their total net sales," Tsuji says. "With these markets, we'll actively expand and reach our goal of at least 10bn yen in total net sales," he reckons.
