Profile: Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (ACLS.O)

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (Axcelis) designs, manufactures and services ion implantation, dry strip and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips. In addition to equipment, the Company provides aftermarket service and support, including spare parts, equipment upgrades, maintenance services and customer training. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company owned 50% of the equity of SEN Corporation (SEN), a producer of ion implantation equipment in Japan. SEN licenses technology from the Company for certain ion implantation products and has exclusive rights to market the licensed products in Japan. In February 2009, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its shares in SEN, which closed on March 30, 2009.

Ion Implantation Systems

Axcelis offers a line of high-energy, high-current and medium-current implanters for all application requirements. The Company has introduced its single wafer Optima high-dose (HD) product (for high current applications). As of December 31, 2007, Axcelis had shipped 12 Optima HD products. The Company's single wafer tool for high energy applications, the Optima XE, was released during the year ended December 31, 2007. Axcelis' line of single wafer implanters, known as the Optima platform, is designed to meet current and future application requirements of its customers. The three major Optima products are Optima HD, Optima XE and Optima MD.

The Optima HD fulfills traditional high current requirements. In addition, the Optima HD can process some traditional mid current implants. In addition, the Optima HD is extendable into ultra-low energy applications to satisfy future process requirements. The Optima HD also supports molecular and hydrogen implants for emerging dual poly gate and silicon-on-insulator applications to improve device speed and performance. The Optima XE combines Axcelis' RF Linac high energy, spot beam technology with a single wafer endstation. Axcelis' spot beam ensures that all points across the wafer see the same beam at the same beam angle. Optima HE is a reduced energy version of the Optima XE. The Optima Mid Dose (MD) extends beyond the traditional medium current space into traditional high current and high energy spaces.

Dry Strip

The Company's dry strip machines, also called ashers, use microwave and radio frequency energy to turn process gases into plasma, which then acts to clean the surface of the wafer by removing the photoresist and unwanted residue. Its dry strip tools are capable of removing bulk photoresist from the wafer, as well as the residue left behind after bulk strip. In addition to its use prior to the front-end-of-line implant and etch processes, photoresist is also applied and removed during back-end-of-line processes.

Aftermarket Support and Services

The Company offers its customers with aftermarket service and support throughout the lifecycle of the equipment it manufactures. The service and support provided includes spare parts, equipment upgrades and maintenance services. The Company offers service out of 51 field offices in 16 countries.

The Company competes with Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc., Nissin Electric Co., Ltd., Plasma Immersion Systems, Mattson Technology Inc. and Novellus Systems, Inc.