14 January 2016

k-Space reports record annual sales of RHEED analytical systems, up 43% year-on-year

k-Space Associates Inc of Dexter, MI, USA (which supplies thin-film metrology tools for the semiconductor, compound semiconductor and solar markets) has reported record annual sales for its kSA 400 product line of RHEED (reflection high-energy electron diffraction) analytical systems, up 43% in new system installations in 2015 compared with 2014.

The kSA 400 system combines a high-resolution, high-speed and high-sensitivity camera with RHEED-specific acquisition and analysis software. The firm attributes the increase in sales partially to increased installations on deposition chambers operating at higher pressures than typical UHV systems.

"The use of RHEED guns with differential pumping has allowed RHEED to penetrate higher-pressure deposition technologies that were previously off limits," says kSA's technical sales engineer Dr Carrie Andre. "This advancement in RHEED has increased the potential market for kSA 400 systems," she adds. "By supplying a variety of high-performance lenses, the kSA 400 can be customized for various chamber geometries and can best analyze the smaller-size RHEED images generated in higher-pressure deposition chambers."

"This was our first product when the company started in 1992, and it has developed and evolved over the years to keep pace with technological advancements in hardware, as well as the requirements and requests of our users," notes CEO Darryl Barlett. "We are in the fifth generation of the kSA 400, and have multiple software upgrades each year to add features that enable further process optimization for our customers," he adds. "It is this constant improvement and our dedicated technical support that keeps customers coming back for more systems."

Tags: k-Space Associates Metrology

Visit: www.k-space.com