Araca and Toho Enter into a Long-Term Agreement to Sell Equipment to Produce Atomically-Smooth SiC and GaN Surfaces

TUCSON, AZ, UNITED STATES, February 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Toho Koki Seisakusho (Toho), a world-class provider of pad grooving equipment and services for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), and Araca, Inc., an innovative company specializing in CMP and polishing of silicon wafers and devices as well as wide-band-gap (WBG) substrates, will further strengthen their relationship through a new long-term strategic agreement.

Accordingly, Araca, Inc. will become the exclusive distributor of Toho’s patented CARE-TEC^® systems in North America and Europe. CARE-TEC^® which stands for “CAtalyst Referred Etching Technology” is a load-lock system with four electrochemically-assisted polishing platens, a robotic wafer handling system, and an integrated substrate cleaning module. It is uniquely designed to reduce surface smoothness to below 1 nm, while significantly reducing the number of surface and sub-surface defects. Such stringent specifications are crucial for producing epi-ready SiC and GaN substrates of up to 200 mm in diameter. Please see https://aracainc.com/equipment/care-tec-system/ for details as well as starting tool demo dates.

The collaboration will significantly expand the scope of the existing distribution agreement between the two companies in which Araca, Inc. has, for 20 years, been the exclusive agent and distributor of patented pad grooving and surface preparation equipment and services in the North American and European markets.

“Such a strategic agreement will help cement the company’s position in enabling the production of high-end epi-ready silicon carbide and gallium nitride substrates in North America and Europe,” said Dr. Ara Philipossian, President and CEO of Araca, Inc. “The growth of WBG materials remains exponential and we are delighted to become a major player in this arena beyond what we already do with our patented hydrogen peroxide-based slurries for SiC final polish. Expanding our partnership with Toho is the right thing to do and will result in a truly win-win situation moving forward.”

Through this agreement, Araca will have access to the CARE-TEC^® system at Toho, as well as their state-of-the-art metrology equipment used for determining the crystalline structure, thickness, metal contamination, number of surface and sub-surface defects, and the nano-roughness of wide-band-gap (WBG) substrates; all in a brand-new Class 10 cleanroom in Yokkaichi (JP). Visit https://aracainc.com/company/facilities-and-toolsets/ for details.

“We are delighted to be expanding our relationship with Araca. This initiative underscores the need for supporting the flawless production of epi-ready WBG substrates that will drive higher production and device yields for our customers worldwide”, said Tatsutoshi Suzuki, chairman of Toho Koki Seisakusho.

Araca Inc., headquartered in Tucson, Arizona USA, is a global provider of unique, enabling, and fully customized solutions for semiconductor device planarization and WBG substrate polishing applications. Visit www.aracainc.com for details.

Toho Koki Seisakusho, located in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan, is an innovative company specializing in providing cutting-edge equipment and services for manufacturing epi-ready AlN, SiC, and GaN substrates, as well as grooving and surface finishing of CMP pads. Visit https://tohokoki.jp/toppage-en/corporate-profile-en/ for further information.

Ara Philipossian
Araca, Inc.
+1 5204651419
aphilipossian@aracainc.com