San Jose, Calif., October 3, 2003 - Silicon Genesis Corporation (SiGen), a leading developer of innovative Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) and other engineered wafer technologies, announced today that it will be focusing its efforts primarily on licensing its NanoTechnology processes. The SiGen NanoTec™ license family is a premier suite of capabilities that enables new innovations in NanoTechnology and takes advantage of SiGen’s layer-transfer and engineered wafer technologies as well as advanced process and equipment technologies. These licenses include NanoCleave™, NanoSmooth™, NanoBond™, and NanoStrain™.
SiGen’s signature NanoCleave™ process for thin film lamination and layer transfer is the foundation of SiGen’s technology portfolio. It was originally developed for SOI wafers, but is applicable to a wide range of products from ultra-thin SOI to advanced heterostructures such as Germanium-on-Insulator and multi-layered stacked SOI wafers. NanoSmooth™ is SiGen’s proprietary, patented non-contact wafer smoothing technology. It provides a fast and economical method of smoothing wafer surfaces to less than 1-Angstrom roughness. SiGen’s patented plasma-activated bonding process, NanoBond™, enables up to 30 times greater bond strengths than conventional wet bonding techniques. This process is applicable for a wide range of bonding and layer transfer processes including SOI, MEMS and other laminated structures.
SiGen is now transitioning from an Intellectual Property (IP) company with wafer production capability to a fabless IP company. The goals for the pilot manufacturing facility in San Jose were to enable SiGen to develop its US Patent portfolio, prove its process and equipment technologies in a small-scale production environment, and validate its products with customers. These have been achieved. Going forward, SiGen will focus on licensing its technology to volume manufacturing partners and continuing IP development for next generation products. SiGen will also offer ongoing support services in the use of its technologies. “This allows the company to provide the necessary customer service support without reservation. Under our previous strategy, we were competing directly with our licensees,” stated Lori Nye, Senior Director of Marketing and Sales for SiGen.
“We have completed the development of our IP and process technologies, including proving this technology with product and process validation from multiple device and wafer makers,” said Francois Henley, founder and CEO of SiGen. “Our focus for the future is to license and enable others to make products using our technology while protecting and strengthening our IP with the use of a smaller R&D facility. SiGen owns or controls all of its licensable technology and has over 65 issued patents worldwide, with more pending.” Mr. Henley added, “In the last few months we have experienced significant traction in concluding multiple commercial licenses. The timing is right for this transition.”
About Silicon Genesis
Founded in 1997, Silicon Genesis Corporation (SiGen) is a leading provider of Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) process technology targeted for use in the production of engineered wafers that enable NanoTechnology applications with next generation products. Headquartered in San Jose, California (Silicon Valley), the Company’s proprietary NanoCleave™ (Layer-transfer), NanoBond™ (Plasma-activated bonding), and NanoSmooth™ (Epi Smoothing/Epi Thickening) process steps have allowed SiGen to become a leading provider of innovative substrates through its process licensing. SiGen promotes its layer-transfer and engineered wafer technologies by continued development of its advanced process and equipment technologies as well as through strategic alliances. For more information on Silicon Genesis, visit http://www.sigen.com .
