Schmidt Leads Buyout of SUSS Bonder Division 

Staff -- Semiconductor International, 7/31/2007 10:12:00 AM

The former president of SUSS MicroTec France (Saint-Jeoire, France), Gaël Schmidt, has led a management buyout of the SUSS MicroTec device bonder division.

The new company is named Smart Equipment Technology (S.E.T.), in reference to the original company — Sulzer Electro-Technique — founded in 1975 by Schmidt’s father.

S.E.T will add to its existing staff of 52, and expects revenues to be in the range of 8 million euros this year. “This change will enhance our decisional independence, which we need to implement our corporate strategy and develop our key business in emerging markets, such as advanced packaging, MEMS or nanoimprint technology,” Schmidt said.

The company will make equipment for future assembly challenges and applications that require high-density integration, such as mobile phones, GPS and PDAs. The equipment is used in the assembly of optoelectronic components, laser diodes, infrared sensors for military-use night vision equipment, and components used in aerospace applications.

S.E.T. will take over development of the nanoimprint stepper, the NPS300, which transfers patterns to a thermoplastic embossing material by controlled heat and pressure. Applications include integrated optical devices, smart devices for microelectronics, and sensors for temperature, light, molecules and life science, as well as 3-D replication, the company said.

SUSS MicroTec (Munich) is a supplier of production, process and test technology for the semiconductor industry, with five divisions worldwide.