Trumpf is betting on the growing demand for advanced plasma generators in semiconductor manufacturing. The German company is moving series production to Poland to cut costs, while concentrating R&D and new product development in Freiburg. Its EUV customer ASML will also benefit from the move.
Trumpf is best known in the semiconductor industry as the supplier of powerful lasers for ASML’s EUV systems. These drive lasers require power electronics to generate the CO2 plasma that produces the laser light. Similar technology forms the basis of plasma generators used to deposit and remove materials on wafers. This is a growth market for Trumpf.
The total business for high-end power supplies now generates revenue of 458 million euros and is part of the Trumpf Electronics business unit. By comparison, the EUV division, which uses these power supplies, generated revenue of 791 million euros in the past financial year. The electronics division has growth potential, as the semiconductor industry needs advanced power supplies that can control etching and deposition processes with great precision. Trumpf is among the three largest suppliers in this sector. According to the company, it serves virtually all major semiconductor equipment manufacturers, including industry leader Applied Materials. In Europe, Trumpf Electronics supplies plasma generators to Alixlabs, a Swedish startup specializing in atomic layer etching that recently announced test results at Imec. VDL ETG is currently assembling the company’s beta machines.
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