Equipping A Multi-Million Dollar Digital X-Ray Production Facility

KDF RELEASE 2006

KDF announces its role in the opening of a $165 million state-of-the-art digital X-Ray mammography production facility in New York state. The facility is headlined by by one of the world’s largest health equipment OEMs and will manufacture and transfer its innovative technology to healthcare facilities worldwide. KDF, a producer of batch-sputtering systems used in the manufacture of a variety of R&D and production formats, provided two 844i systems that support essential digital diagnostic radiography equipment.

KDF’s 844i systems are used in the development of digital X-ray diagnostic equipment. The radiographic equipment enhances the diagnostic process for breast cancer doctors and patients by providing digital images at a matchless quality, while also providing instantaneous re-shoots, thereby eliminating the need to schedule additional appointments.

The 844i is a large area, four-target, batch-sputtering system, designed for processing high-density interconnect, 300 mm semiconductor wafers, solar photovoltaic cells and flat panel displays. The 844i accommodates glass sizes up to Gen 3. Because of its size, the 844i system is an extremely cost-effective way to run batches of small to large wafers or substrates. The 844i is equipped with a high-vacuum load lock configured with a substrate pre-heat that enables the tool’s high throughput.

The 844i offers a pallet area of 26.5 x 30 inches with a compact footprint that uses less than one-third the floor space of competing equipment. The tool can hold four 300mm wafers or multiple smaller wafers and features two processing pallets, allowing an instantaneous change of wafer sizes and the ability to process both the front and backsides of the wafers.

The system can also be enhanced with scan velocity profiling. The 844i system meets the Semiconductor S2-0200 safety specification as part of the standard system package, a CE option for the European community is available. Pulsed DC sputtering up to 20kw via Advanced Energy Pinnacle Plus is also available. The 844i system has remote PC accessibility allowing for software upgrades and file repair via an Internet/Ethernet connection.

The use of KDF’s 844i systems by one of the world’s largest health equipment manufacturers is a comment on the sophistication of the technology and its capabilities when incorporated into advanced medical devices, such as digital X-ray mammography equipment.

Todd Plaisted, KDF Director of Marketing, comments, “The KDF 844i systems were modified to larger 26.5″ x 30″ pallets to meet new requirements. The system is newly designed to accommodate 90 degree thru-wall clean room interface and roll-around system control cart, saving clean room space. In addition, the systems have new, cost effective pallet-assist loading tools as an alternative to an expensive roboticized system.

Says Plaisted, “It is with great pride that we know our efforts developing quality technology, combined with those of the manufacturer, will result in the care and treatment of an untold number of people around the globe.”

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