June 16, 2019

Active Layer Parametrics Receives Order from TSRI for ALPro 50 Metrology Tool

Scotts Valley, CA and Hsinchu City, Taiwan, May 23, 2019 - Active Layer Parametrics (ALP), a Silicon Valley semiconductor metrology equipment vendor, has expanded its reach into Asia with the announcement that Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) of National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs) has agreed to purchase ALP’s electrical property depth profiling tool, ALPro 50.

ALP, a Silicon Catalyst Portfolio Company, has developed a novel technology for electrical characterization of thin films. Semiconductor customers continually demand higher performance electronics that require use of new materials in advanced device structures. Complete and high-resolution characterization of such materials are key to cost effective and accelerated development of new generation semiconductor devices. Unlike other measurement techniques, ALP’s Differential Hall Effect Metrology (DHEM) approach and ALPro technology have the capability of providing carrier concentration and mobility depth profiles through thin layers at sub-nm resolution.

“ALPro 50 electrical property depth profiling tool will provide unique information to researchers to support and enhance their semiconductor layer and device development efforts,” said Dr. Kun-Lin Lin, Materials Analysis Division manager of TSRI. “We are happy to be the first group having this capability in Asia and looking forward working with ALP in further development of applications for their novel technology”.

“We are excited that our first customer in Asia is TSRI, an important center committed to promoting cutting edge science and technology,” said ALP CEO Dr. Bulent Basol. “TSRI’s involvement with a wide range of semiconductor materials and devices combined with ALP’s unique technology will enable both parties to develop new measurement recipes leading to a better understanding of device performance/process condition correlations. We are looking forward to working closely with the team at TSRI.”

“The adoption of ALP’s technology by EAG Laboratories, one of the most respected names in materials analysis, which preceded ALP’s engagement with TSRI, served as a validation that this novel technology is a vital capability for leading edge next generation development,” said Dan Armbrust, Co-Founder and Director of Silicon Catalyst. “ALPro 50 electrical property depth profiling tool is truly a game changer and will usher in a new era of precision metrology.”

About ALP

ALP is a Silicon Valley based semiconductor metrology equipment vendor which has developed a technology with the unique capability of measuring and depth profiling all of the critical electrical properties of semiconductor layers. ALProTM product family addresses the critical needs for development of next generation semiconductor processes by enabling high resolution mobility and active dopant measurements. ALP’s DHEM technique is applicable to all semiconductor materials including Si, Ge, SiGe alloys and III-V compounds. For more information, please visit: www.alpinc.net.

About TSRI

TSRI, the new name of National Chip implementation Center (CIC) and National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) after their consolidation in 2019, provides services of IC design, chip tape-out, wafer manufacturing as well as corresponding R&D on electronic systems and semiconductor nano-devices. TSRI supports advanced research for academia and collaborates with the industry to prototype their innovations, offering a full spectrum of measurement and verification services at both IC and wafer levels. With its world-class faculties and domain expertise, TSRI continuously cultivates highly-qualified human resource for the semiconductor industry and the global technology communities. TSRI aims at becoming a leading semiconductor technology research center for nano- devices, IC design, fabrication, testing, and system prototyping. For more information, please visit: www.tsri.org.tw/main.jsp.

About Silicon Catalyst

It’s About What’s Next® - Silicon Catalyst is the world’s only incubator focused exclusively on accelerating solutions in silicon, building a coalition of in-kind and strategic partners to dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of development. Close to 300 startup companies have engaged with Silicon Catalyst since April 2015, with a total of 21 startup and early-stage companies admitted to the incubator. With a world-class network of mentors to advise startups, Silicon Catalyst is helping new semiconductor companies address the challenges in moving from idea to realization. The incubator/accelerator supplies startups with a path to design tools, silicon devices, networking, access to funding, banking and marketing acumen to successfully launch and grow their companies’ novel technology solutions.