11-02/03 :: February / March 2011

nanotimes

Companies Facts

million. Raw material prices increased in 2010, par- ticularly in the second half of the year. The company expects 2011 prices to increase further. Pricing and cost reduction actions are ongoing and AkzoNobel is confident that it will be able to compensate for these increases during 2011.

Net debt decreased from EUR1,744 million at year- end 2009 to EUR936 million at year-end 2010, mainly due National Starch divestment generating EUR1 billion of cash. Net cash from operating acti- vities was EUR519 million (2009: EUR1,220 million) reflecting investment in working capital facilitating growth and higher restructuring payments in 2010. AkzoNobel expects to make further progress on its medium-term strategic ambitions. The company is aiming for more than 5 percent revenue and EBITDA growth in 2011. http://www.akzonobel.com

joined the III-V Lab in a move to strengthen the industrial research capabilities of the R&D center, already Europe’s most advanced in the field of III-V semiconductors. The new public-private partnership will combine III-V semiconductor and silicon tech- nologies, opening up new research perspectives and dynamics. http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

A C

entre de Collaboration MiQro Innovation / MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI)

has licensed Alchimer‘s suite of products. Alchi- mer is a leading provider of nanometric deposition technology for through-silicon vias (TSVs), semicon- ductor interconnects, MEMS and other electronic

lcatel-Lucent Bell Labs (NYSE : ALU), Thales and CEA-Leti announced that CEA-Leti has

applications. The C2MI, which includes a state- of-the-art MEMS facility, was launched in 2009 by Université of Sherbrooke in Bromont Technoparc, Quebec,Canada. The center’s 200mm MEMS and 3D wafer-level-processing (WLP) equipment, which is among the most advanced in the world, will enable its members to test a variety of materials for MEMS production.

Alchimer’s suite of products and its Electrografting (eG) technology will support the center’s 3D MEMS programs. Electrografting is Alchimer’s breakthrough electrochemical process that enables the growth of extremely high-quality polymer and metal thin films.

In a move that underscores growing demand for its wet deposition process in Asia, Alchimer S.A. has signed an agreement with Kromax International Corp., a Taiwanese company that represents leading semiconductor and flat-panel equipment manufac- turers and material suppliers in the Asian market. Kromax will represent Alchimer’s total through- silicon via (TSV) solution in Taiwan, including its Electrografting (eG) wet deposition technology. Electrografting is Alchimer’s breakthrough electroche- mical process that enables the growth of extremely high-quality nanometric films for TSVs, semiconduc- tor interconnects, MEMS and other electronic appli- cations.

http://www.alchimer.com http://www.kromax.com

T

he German specialty chemicals Group ALTANA ended the business year 2010 with

excellent sales and earnings figures. Sales climbed to EUR1,535.4 million, corresponding to an increase of 30% compared to the previous year (EUR1,181.7

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