SolMateS receives a two million euro investment for the final development phase of their piezoelectric deposition machine
On the 27th of April 2011, SolMateS, the highly innovative supplier of PZT thin film solutions, received a substantial investment from private equity funds Twente Technology Fund and Participatiemaatschappij Oost Nederland (East-Netherlands Holding Company). SolMateS will use the investment to accelerate product development and international expansion for its unique production system. The company was founded in 2006 based on FOM-research.
"FOM always believed in us and actually helped us," said Joska Broekmaat, former FOM-oio and CTO of SolMateS. "We hope we inspire others now."
Piezoelectric layers are to be used in all kinds of miniature systems were precise actuation is needed, for instance in small motors, RF MEMS components or micro pumps. Currently those layers are deposited by notoriously unreliable and costly wet processing. Price and quality are not meeting the high volume electronic industry's standards.
SolMateS technology is developed at the University of Twente, and is the most advanced manufacturing solution currently available to deposit piezoelectric thin films. It marks a whole new era of MEMS and will be used to create essential components for the next-generation mobile electronics, thin film actuators and medical devices.
SolMateS introduces the PiezoFlare 1200, a revolutionary manufacturing technology to produce chips with precise actuation functionality. The PiezoFlare 1200 is an automated deposition system for PZT thin films on 6" or 8" wafers, based on pulsed laser deposition. It offers high-yield piezo performance and flexibility for customized PZT compositions. The technology enables for the first time high volume reliable production capability for PZT thin film deposition.
"The international demand for a machine like the PiezoFlare 1200 is exceeding our expectations", SolMateS CEO Arjen Janssens states. "We are pleased our investors shared our vision, because with their help, we will be able to expand and meet current and future market needs".
SolMateS is a fast growing and ambitious company with 15 employees, located in Science Park Twente, in Enschede, the Netherlands. SolMateS was winner of several technology and business awards since its start in 2006.
For more information, please contact Arjen Janssens, CEO SolMateS, +31 (0)6 10 34 10 58, www.solmates.nl.