News Article
Sales milestone for new product
Edwards announces sales milestone with 1,000th vacuum pumps sold from product introduced only one year ago.
Edwards, a leading global supplier of vacuum and abatement equipment and services, today announced that it has sold 1,000 iXH harsh process vacuum pumps to semiconductor and solar manufacturers since the product was introduced just one year ago, in February 2008.
“Solar and new semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as gallium arsenide compound semiconductors, require vacuum technology capable of handling high hydrogen gas flows,” said Nigel Hunton, Edwards’ chief executive officer. “The iXH series was specifically designed to address these challenges, while reducing cost of ownership with longer pump life and lower utility costs. The rapid industry adoption of iXH technology is a testament to its success in meeting these challenges.”
Hydrogen is a difficult gas to pump due to its small molecular size and low viscosity. The iXH pumping system uses a series of large capacity pumps and boosters to attain the optimum compression ratio required to pump this gas efficiently. The system is modular and highly configurable, making it easy to meet the site installation and performance requirements for a variety of solar and semiconductor manufacturing processes. The components can be stacked on top of one another to achieve the smallest footprint in the industry. Multiple iXH modules, configured to meet application-specific requirements and managed by a single controller, appear to the operator as an easy-to-use, seamlessly integrated vacuum system.
The iXH series of dry pumps for harsh processes offer greater process capability and reduced cost of ownership (CoO) compared to previous-generation Edwards pumps. Reduced CoO is achieved through a ten percent reduction in energy consumption, longer overhaul intervals and reduced unscheduled downtime. They feature a wide temperature range (which helps minimize by-product accumulation), greatly increased powder-handling capabilities, and unique Gas Buster technology, as well as an innovative pump seal technology that helps lengthen process life and reduce leakage risks.
“Solar and new semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as gallium arsenide compound semiconductors, require vacuum technology capable of handling high hydrogen gas flows,” said Nigel Hunton, Edwards’ chief executive officer. “The iXH series was specifically designed to address these challenges, while reducing cost of ownership with longer pump life and lower utility costs. The rapid industry adoption of iXH technology is a testament to its success in meeting these challenges.”
Hydrogen is a difficult gas to pump due to its small molecular size and low viscosity. The iXH pumping system uses a series of large capacity pumps and boosters to attain the optimum compression ratio required to pump this gas efficiently. The system is modular and highly configurable, making it easy to meet the site installation and performance requirements for a variety of solar and semiconductor manufacturing processes. The components can be stacked on top of one another to achieve the smallest footprint in the industry. Multiple iXH modules, configured to meet application-specific requirements and managed by a single controller, appear to the operator as an easy-to-use, seamlessly integrated vacuum system.
The iXH series of dry pumps for harsh processes offer greater process capability and reduced cost of ownership (CoO) compared to previous-generation Edwards pumps. Reduced CoO is achieved through a ten percent reduction in energy consumption, longer overhaul intervals and reduced unscheduled downtime. They feature a wide temperature range (which helps minimize by-product accumulation), greatly increased powder-handling capabilities, and unique Gas Buster technology, as well as an innovative pump seal technology that helps lengthen process life and reduce leakage risks.
