IQE SILICON COMPOUNDS ANNOUNCES THE PURCHASE OF AIXTRON’S RECENTLY LAUNCHED SIGE TRICENT® CLUSTER TOOL

Aachen, August 8th, 2001 – Building on the long term partnership between IQE and AIXTRON on III-V Compounds, IQE Silicon Compounds, the largest provider of epitaxial services to the silicon semiconductor market in Europe, has chosen to partner with AIXTRON for the development of specific SiGe epitaxy processes and have just purchased AIXTRON’s recently introduced SiGe Tricent® Cluster Tool. Within this alliance AIXTRON will deliver and install the SiGe Tricent® Cluster Tool in IQE Silicon Compounds’ epi-facility in Cardiff, UK. The cluster tool equipped with the SiGe Tricent® epi Module and a Wafer Cleaning Module can comprise up to 4 individual process modules attached to a central wafer handling platform. This architecture enhances the efficiency of the entire SiGe process flow by the integration of pre- and post-epitaxial processes. The reaction chamber of the SiGe Tricent® epi Module is optimized for Highest Uniformity, Efficiency and Reproducibility of epitaxial layers on 150, 200 and 300 mm wafers.

Commenting, Steve Byars, CEO of IQE Silicon Compounds said "IQE Si Compounds, Europe’s leading Si and SiGe epi foundry, is pleased to extend the long term relationship existing with AIXTRON to the development of new SiGe processes for our rapidly growing customer base. We look forward to a successful and mutually beneficial arrangement".

IQE Silicon Compounds is a division of IQE plc and is Europe’s largest high volume Si and SiGe foundry for epitaxial services for high speed and wireless communication electronics, supplying most of Europe’s leading Si Companies. The parent company, IQE plc is the leading global provider of advanced epitaxial wafers, providing a broad range of wafers to the opto electronic and electronics industries, for the large scale production of HBTs, P-HEMTs, MESFETs, Lasers, Detectors, VCSELs and Modulators.

AIXTRON’s installed base is over 500 CVD and epi tools worldwide. The company provides an extensive service and support network for maintenance as well as upgrading of its systems in over 15 countries. Among AIXTRON's list of further industrial clients are names such as, Alcatel, Anritsu, ATMI, AXT, Corning, Epistar, EPSON, Honeywell, ITT, JDS-Uniphase, Kopin, Lucent, LumiLeds, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nortel, Osram, Samsung, Siemens, Showa Denko, Sumitomo Electric, ST Microelectronics, Thomson, UEC, VPEC and numerous Japanese corporations. AIXTRON is very active in advancing CVD technology through collaborations and joint R&D projects with major partners worldwide.