Ultratech

Ultratech is a United States semiconductor-equipment company headquartered in San Jose, California. Its roots date to 1979, when Leo de Bos founded Ultratech Stepper, Inc. The company initially focused on one-to-one photolithography steppers, using specialized optical designs for semiconductor manufacturing. It operated as part of General Signal for much of the 1980s and early 1990s before being reorganized as an independent company in 1993 under Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, who became chairman, president, and chief executive officer. The company’s original stepper business supplied equipment used to pattern semiconductor wafers. During the 1990s, Ultratech broadened its technology portfolio, including through its 1998 acquisition of selected assets of Integrated Solutions, Inc. Those assets added i-line and deep-ultraviolet reduction-lithography capabilities and brought the XLS platform into Ultratech’s product portfolio. The company subsequently operated as a publicly traded business on Nasdaq under the symbol UTEK. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ultratech expanded beyond conventional lithography into advanced packaging and nanotechnology applications. Its equipment was used in processes associated with LED optical devices, microelectromechanical systems, automotive air-bag accelerometers, industrial pressure sensors, thin-film magnetic heads, and ink-jet printer heads. The company also developed the NanoTech family of tools and later entered rapid thermal processing with its Laser Processing system, shipped beginning in 2004. Advanced packaging became a particularly important area of activity. Ultratech supplied bump-lithography and related systems for making more direct semiconductor interconnections, supporting efforts to improve device performance and reduce package size. Its Unity platform, introduced in the mid-2000s, combined equipment capabilities for advanced packaging and laser-based processing. Product families described in company and industry material included the 1000, Saturn, Saturn Spectrum, Titan, NanoTech, AP200, AP300, and LSA100 systems. The business experienced substantial cyclicality. Semiconductor-capital-equipment demand weakened during the technology downturn and the 2001 recession. Ultratech reported a major revenue decline in 2002 and undertook workforce reductions and other restructuring measures. Revenue recovered in 2003, when the company returned to profitability, although customer concentration and the volatility of semiconductor investment remained important risks. Intel was identified as a significant customer during that period, and nanotechnology manufacturers represented a material share of sales. Ultratech also became involved in patent litigation concerning lithography technology. In 2000 it brought infringement actions against Nikon, Canon, and ASML. Nikon and Canon later settled, while related proceedings involving ASML and its Silicon Valley Group subsidiary continued through the early 2000s. The litigation formed part of the competitive and intellectual-property environment surrounding semiconductor lithography equipment. Veeco announced the acquisition of Ultratech in 2017, and the transaction was completed that year. Ultratech consequently ceased to be an independent publicly traded company and became part of Veeco’s semiconductor and advanced-packaging equipment operations. The Ultratech name remains associated with equipment technologies serving semiconductor fabrication, advanced packaging, laser processing, and selected nanotechnology applications. Information in the supplied reference material primarily describes the company through the 2017 acquisition period; current standalone corporate structure and leadership are not independently established here.

Ultratech was founded in 1979 in Santa Clara, California, by Leo de Bos as Ultratech Stepper, Inc. Its early business centered on one-to-one photolithography steppers using a catadioptric optical configuration. The company was associated with General Signal through the 1980s and until the early 1990s. Earlier presidents included de Bos and George Rutland. In September 1992, Arthur W. Zafiropoulo reorganized the business to acquire selected assets and liabilities of General Signal’s Ultratech Stepper division. The new company became independent in March 1993, with Zafiropoulo serving as chairman, president, and chief executive officer. It retained the Ultratech Stepper name during the 1990s and later traded publicly on Nasdaq under the symbol UTEK. Ultratech expanded its lithography portfolio in 1998 by acquiring assets of Integrated Solutions, Inc., a manufacturer with operations in Massachusetts and Texas. The transaction added i-line and deep-ultraviolet reduction-lithography capabilities and the XLS platform. The company’s subsequent development strategy combined wafer-stepping equipment with advanced packaging, nanotechnology, and thermal or laser-processing systems. The company filed patent litigation in 2000 against Nikon, Canon, and ASML. Nikon settled in April 2000 and Canon settled in September 2001. ASML’s Silicon Valley Group subsidiary later brought a counterclaim. A related counter-suit was dismissed in 2004, while the original litigation went through appeals and remand proceedings. The semiconductor downturn and the 2001 recession materially affected Ultratech. The company reduced its workforce in 2000 and again in 2002, while also recording charges tied to inventory, discontinued products, restructuring, and impairment of the XLS platform. Revenue fell sharply in 2002 but recovered in 2003, when Ultratech returned to profitability. Intel represented a significant portion of sales in 2003, and nanotechnology customers accounted for approximately one-quarter of sales according to the supplied historical material. Ultratech entered rapid thermal processing with the shipment of its Laser Processing system in 2004. Its equipment portfolio included the 1000, Saturn, Saturn Spectrum, Titan, and NanoTech families, together with AP200 and AP300 advanced-packaging lithography tools and the LSA100 laser spike annealing system. Applications included semiconductor fabrication, flip-chip bump processing, LED devices, MEMS, automotive sensors, industrial pressure sensors, thin-film storage heads, and ink-jet printer heads. By the 2000s, the company operated facilities in San Jose and maintained sales or support operations in several United States and Asian markets, as well as France, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Veeco acquired Ultratech in 2017. Following completion of the transaction, Ultratech became a Veeco subsidiary rather than an independent listed company. The available reference material does not establish a current standalone executive team or a separate present-day corporate structure.

• 2017

  Acquired by Veeco

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  Veeco acquired Ultratech, making it a wholly owned subsidiary and ending its independent public-company status.

• 2004

  Laser Processing system shipped

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  The company formally entered rapid thermal processing with its Laser Processing system.

• 2000

  Patent litigation begins

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  Ultratech filed patent-infringement suits against Nikon, Canon, and ASML relating to lithography technology.

• 1998

  Integrated Solutions assets acquired

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  Ultratech acquired selected assets of Integrated Solutions, adding i-line and deep-ultraviolet reduction-lithography capabilities.

• 1993

  Company becomes independent

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  The reorganized Ultratech Stepper became independent from General Signal, with Arthur W. Zafiropoulo as chairman, president, and CEO.

• 1979

  Ultratech Stepper founded

  [1]Ultratechen.wikipedia.org

  Leo de Bos founded Ultratech Stepper, Inc. in California to develop one-to-one photolithography steppers.

A specialist supplier of semiconductor fabrication and advanced-packaging equipment, with an emphasis on cost-effective lithography, packaging interconnect processes, laser processing, and tools for adjacent nanotechnology applications.

• Photolithography wafer steppers

  1000 Family

  The 1000 family comprised one-to-one wafer-stepping lithography systems intended for applications including scanner replacement, high-volume and lower-cost semiconductor fabrication, and research or packaging environments.

• Semiconductor and advanced-packaging lithography

  Saturn and Saturn Spectrum Wafer Stepper families

  The Saturn family served mix-and-match semiconductor-fabrication requirements, while Saturn Spectrum systems were associated with flip-chip bump processing and advanced packaging.

• Photolithography equipment

  Titan Wafer Stepper

  Titan was a wafer-stepper platform positioned for scanner replacement and high-volume, cost-sensitive semiconductor manufacturing applications.

• Nanotechnology manufacturing equipment · 2002

  NanoTech Family

  The NanoTech family included 100, 160, 190, 200, and 200i systems. These tools supported manufacturing applications involving LED optical devices, MEMS, sensors, thin-film heads, and ink-jet printer heads.

• Advanced-packaging lithography

  AP200 and AP300

  AP200 and AP300 were lithography systems for advanced packaging, including processes used to form interconnect structures such as flip-chip bumps.

• Laser processing and annealing · 2004

  Laser Processing and LSA100

  Ultratech’s Laser Processing line addressed rapid thermal processing. The LSA100 was associated with laser spike annealing for semiconductor manufacturing and advanced process development.

• 2017

  Join VeecoM&A

  Background

  Ultratech was acquired as part of Veeco’s expansion in semiconductor and related manufacturing equipment.

  Action taken

  Veeco completed the acquisition, making Ultratech a wholly owned subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  Ultratech ceased to operate as an independent publicly traded company; its technologies and operations were incorporated into Veeco.

  Source

• 2004

  Enter rapid thermal processingProduct launch

  Background

  Ultratech identified laser-based thermal processing as an adjacent opportunity in semiconductor manufacturing.

  Action taken

  The company shipped its Laser Processing system and developed the LSA100 laser spike annealing platform.

  Aftermath

  The move diversified Ultratech’s equipment portfolio beyond lithography and advanced packaging.

  Source

• 1998

  Acquire selected Integrated Solutions assetsM&A

  Background

  Ultratech sought to broaden its lithography offering beyond its original stepper business.

  Action taken

  The company acquired selected assets and liabilities of Integrated Solutions, including the XLS reduction-lithography platform.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition expanded Ultratech’s i-line and deep-ultraviolet lithography portfolio, although the XLS platform later generated impairment and restructuring charges.

  Source

1. 1Ultratechen.wikipedia.org