News Article
Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Opens Taiwan facility
Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) has opened its first R&D centre outside Mainland China. The new 1,800 square-meter facility with clean-room space is located in Zhunan. In addition to R&D, the facility will be used for final test and assembly of AMEC's advanced Etch products. The move to locate core expertise and services close to customers is a cornerstone of AMEC's globalization strategy. It improves efficiencies, helps lower costs and provides fab managers with quicker access to AMEC's Etch experts.
A formal opening event was held recently for customers, public officials and other AMEC stakeholders in Taiwan.
The market for AMEC's Primo D-RIE [Decoupled Reactive Ion Etch] tools in Taiwan is considerable. They are being used by customers to produce leading-edge film stacks. They are valued for superior capital productivity and low cost-of-ownership. Last quarter AMEC boosted its portfolio with a new product"”the next-generation very high frequency 300mm Primo AD-RIE™ [Advanced Decoupled Reactive Ion Etch] tool. The system leverages the advantages of the earlier D-RIE platform and is built for critical process requirements at 22nm and below. Now AMEC customers have new capabilities to cover the broadest range of advanced process requirements. The original Primo D-RIE is fully upgradable.
In addition to providing facilities for R&D, test and assembly, the new Zhunan location makes it easier for AMEC to leverage local Taiwanese suppliers for parts and materials. This means greater savings for customers.
"This is an important milestone for AMEC," said Robert Chen, AMEC's corporate senior director in Taiwan. "While it's a significant investment for us, the new facility allows us to extend even greater service and support to our valued Taiwanese customers. Beyond that, it broadens our business development capabilities which will be especially important as we continue to bring new products to market. We're excited to plant firm roots in Zhunan and we look forward to building out our staff as we grow."
