MicroSense, LLC acquires SigmaTech Inc.

LOWELL, Mass., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MicroSense, LLC, a worldwide leader in high resolution capacitive position sensors, metrology modules and high sensitivity magnetic metrology tools, today announced the acquisition of SigmaTech, Inc. of Tempe, Arizona.  SigmaTech has developed award winning, high-sensitivity metrology tools for LED, MEMS and semiconductor manufacturing.  With this acquisition, MicroSense adds leading-edge wafer inspection tools to its portfolio of innovative metrology solutions.  SigmaTech systems integrate multiple sensing technologies such as optical spectrometry, interferometry and SigmaTech's patented auto-positioning back pressure (APBP) technology. MicroSense will integrate its capacitance sensors into SigmaTech metrology platforms.

"This acquisition makes excellent sense as it marries our leading capacitance sensing technology with SigmaTech's field-proven, highly reliable metrology platform to provide highly stable and repeatable wafer metrology systems for targeted applications," according to James Pelusi, Chairman and CEO of MicroSense.  "SigmaTech's customers and prospects will continue to be supported by the existing SigmaTech employees, all of whom will stay with the combined business, and will also benefit from the additional resources, infrastructure and the decades of metrology experience that MicroSense will bring to the business."

"We are excited to join the MicroSense team as their high resolution capacitive sensor technology provides an ideal path to increasing throughput of our metrology systems and expanding the field of applications," said Jacques Fauque, semiconductor industry veteran and founder of SigmaTech who will remain with the business and continue to lead its development.

About MicroSense, LLC 

MicroSense's patented capacitive sensors are used to make very precise, high bandwidth measurements of precision products such as solar wafers, hard disk drive motors, air bearing spindles, precision X-Y stages, optical disks, automotive parts and machine tools.  Leading equipment manufacturers around the world use MicroSense capacitive sensors in wafer lithography systems, solar wafer sorters, autofocus mechanisms, nanopositioning stages, metrology tools and flat panel display manufacturing equipment.  MicroSense is the leading supplier of high sensitivity Vibrating Sample Magnetometers and MOKE magnetic metrology tools for magnetic measurement.  MicroSense systems are used for fundamental magnetic research at the most prestigious magnetics laboratories worldwide.  A range of in-line, production magnetic metrology tools are also offered to meet the stringent demands of manufacturing today's rapidly advancing hard disk storage systems and MRAM devices.

About SigmaTech, Inc.

SigmaTech offers automated metrology solutions for a broad range of standard and specific applications in the field of semiconductor wafers, materials and optics.  SigmaTech has multiple system installations at many of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturing companies and stands at the forefront of the dimensional wafer metrology industry.  SigmaTech currently offers multiple gauging technologies that can be implemented to provide the optimal solution for virtually any customer application.

SOURCE MicroSense, LLC