With process demonstration systems in place, a staff of forty-five and a new 19,000 square foot design/ manufacturing facility, Vortek is moving ahead to commercialize its unique rapid thermal processing technology (RTP).
Vortek's RTP technology will provide the semiconductor industry with the path forward to manufacture chip device structures required from now through the next decade. This technology is patented, proprietary and will ensure Vortek a lead position in this segment of the semiconductor tool market.
Vortek Industries was founded to commercialize a unique lamp technology developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC) twenty five years ago. The “water-wall arc” produces light intensities far beyond anything previously achieved, with a maximum power now reaching 500kW – or the equivalent of 5,000 100 watt bulbs.
The company developed key markets in Solar Simulation, where the lamp is used to mimic the suns rays, and Thermal Test/ Materials Processing where it is used as a radiant energy source.
A list of internationally recognized scientific organizations acquired Vortek systems – including Canadaís National Solar Testing Facility, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NASA, and major spacecraft contractors such as Fokker Space in Europe. Several years ago Vortek began a new initiative to use its arc lamp technology in one of the processing steps of manufacturing computer chips from silicon wafers. This step is called thermal annealing, and requires very precise and rapid heating and cooling of the wafer. The technique is known as Rapid Thermal Processing. Vortek has now not only found itself with a better process – but with a process that promises to be enabling† for production of the leading edge chips that will power the fastest and most energy efficient computing devices in the coming years. Advanced RTP now forms the major focus of the company.
