Accord Advanced Technologies Announces New Wafer Support Technology
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2000--Accord Advanced Technologies (OTCBB: AVTI - news) Wednesday announced its business plan to produce a wafer support (susceptor) platform for the semiconductor equipment industry.
Accord was granted a patent number (Patent No. 5,800,623) on Sept. 1, 1998 for the ``Semiconductor Wafer Support Platform (susceptor).''
Travis Wilson stated, ``An estimated $500 million per year is spent on consumables in the areas that our company will be competing. Susceptors cost more than $2,000 per unit and require replacement every 3,000 wafers. The larger semiconductor companies spend a minimum of $5 million annually on these susceptors with the entire market projected at $100 million per year.''
``Our business model anticipates approximately $2 million will be needed for the development, marketing, and selling of the susceptor. Accord has been actively pursuing financing through investment bankers, wealthy individuals, and venture capitalists. The financing must be beneficial for the company and shareholders.''
``Within five years, Accord expects to capture around 10 percent of the susceptor market and to develop other consumables in different areas. Our mission is to become the number one supplier of used and new parts for Applied Materials equipment worldwide. The gross profit margin on this business is anticipated to be 50 percent.''
``Susceptors are somewhat unreliable and cause unexpected downtime as well as expense. The susceptor has a variety of problems, which are: nodules form on the susceptor surface; wafers sticking to susceptor surface; and pinhole arcing occurs. The latter is the most severe of these problems and it is primarily the problem which the patented technology addresses.''
Accord has completed work for such well-known companies as ATMI, American Microsystems, Honeywell, Rockwell International, Microchip, Motorola, Intel Corp., MRC (Sony), California Micro Devices, Eastman Kodak, National Semiconductor, Siemens Semiconductor Group, Lockheed, IDT and Texas Instruments.
Accord specializes in refurbishing and modifying multi-chamber systems for chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) and Etch processes. These precision systems are responsible for transforming individual silicon wafers into integrated-circuit (IC) products such as computer chips.
Refurbishing provides Accord customers an equally high-quality alternative to new OEM equipment and enables the customer to immediately produce its IC products at a reduced cost due to lower manufacturing equipment costs.
The company also provides system decommissioning, commissioning, after-sales service and supplies parts and process technology as needed by the customer. Accord is unique among companies that refurbish equipment because of its ability to custom-engineer modifications to customers' systems.
The company primarily refurbishes the equipment of Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT - news), the largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the world.
Note: Any statements released by Accord Advanced Technologies Inc. that are forward looking are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Editors and investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements invoke risk and uncertainties that may affect the company's business prospects and performance.
These include economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Contact:
Accord Advanced Technologies Inc.
Investor Relations, 480/820-1400 ext. 121 |
