Memsstar expands Livingston manufacturing facility
Doubles cleanroom space for semiconductor processing equipment
Memsstar, a Scottish provider of deposition and etch tools, has doubled its cleanroom manufacturing space to meet growing demand from the micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) and semiconductor industries.
The firm has also taken on more staff in logistics, administration and skilled and semi-skilled engineering.
Memsstar, based in Livingston, Scotland, took record orders of more than $20m in 2010 and is projecting ‘high double-digit’ revenue growth for 2011.
The extra space will allow memsstar to increase capacity as well as more efficiently remanufacture, refurbish and repurpose semiconductor etch and deposition equipment. It also allows the firm to handle larger and more complex equipment.
The facility has been re-designed with seven flexibly configured bays ready for immediate use.
Memsstar's remanufacturing division, pt35, delivers refurbished and repurposed etch and deposition equipment for MEMS fabrication and r&d as well as semiconductor manufacturing in Europe. It will use the expanded facility to reduce lead times for refurbished OEM platforms as a result of increased manufacturing efficiencies.
“Refurbished and repurposed equipment is coming of age as a critical component in the strategies of semiconductor manufacturers in Europe,” said Peter Connock, chief executive of memsstar.
In addition to the gains expected in its remanufacturing process, memsstar will also benefit from additional capacity to support its proprietary products for MEMS applications. The company's Solo, Sentry and Multi process tools deliver advanced etch, surface preparation and deposition processes.
“Two trends have driven our expansion, the increased importance and significance of the secondary equipment market for semiconductor manufacturing and the maturation of MEMS manufacturing with its increasingly advanced requirements,” added Connock. “memsstar is ideally positioned to address both markets.”
