History

1980

• Founded as an engineering partner for the semiconductor industry (formally known as Electronic Visions) by the owner Erich Thallner and his wife Aya Maria Thallner, EV Group has grown into an internationally acclaimed manufacturer of highly innovative precision systems.

1985

• EV Group created the world's first double-side mask aligner with bottom side microscope, an important milestone for the commercialization of MEMS products. Our design provided the advanced method required to successfully manufacture new products such as air bag sensors and electronic vehicle stabilizing systems. Thus allowing the automotive industry to make major advances in driving safety, improved motor management and fuel consumption reduction.

1990

• The process separation between wafer alignment and wafer bonding developed by EV Group revolutionized wafer bonding technology and has since become a worldwide industry standard.

1992

• The first high performance production wafer bonding systems for automated volume production of MEMS was developed. This provided economical, automated production for micromachined components. The double side aligner and process separation are only two of the numerous innovations that contributed to the establishment of EV Group as a technology leader.

1994

• Founding of a wholly owned subsidiary in USA: EV Group Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, for sales and customer support. 
• Installation of the first SOI wafer bonder, a fully automated tool for high-quality low cost SOI wafer production was implemented. This technology has proven to be critical for the production of components required for the latest generations of fast computers and state of the art products for telecommunications.
  

1997

• Headquarters building was reconstructed and manufacturing and cleanroom area was doubled.
• Founding of a wholly owned subsidiary in Yokohama, Japan: EV Group Japan KK.
• EV Group entered the nanotechnology market with the development of the first nanoimprinting system.
  

1998

• EV Group developed the revolutionary OmniSpray® cavity coating technology for uniform photoresist layers on high topography surfaces.

1999

• EV Group introduced the SmartView® wafer-to-wafer alignment system which incorporates a revolutionary face-to-face alignment technology for wafer-level packaging technologies and 3D interconnects for hyper-integration.
   

2000

• Founding of second wholly owned subsidiary in USA: EV Group Inc., Cranston, Rhode Island, for sales and customer support.
• Headquarters building and manufacturing floor expansion, doubling of total floor (to ~ 6500 m²).
• Fully-automated and integrated production systems were introduced. They cover all essential process steps for wafer bonding and lithography, providing a maximum integration and automation level: GEMINI® – The ultimate production wafer bonding system with integration of all wafer bonding process steps. HERCULES® – Fully automated and integrated lithography track system for coat/bake-align/expose - develop processes.
         
  

• EV Group developed the first hot embossing system for emerging BioMEMS and microfluidics applications.

2001

• Celebration of the 20-year anniversary event.
• The first 300 mm automated SOI production bonder was designed and successfully installed. This tool integrates all the essential process steps to manufacture world-class, high-yield SOI bonded substrates. 
• EV Group introduced the first temporary bonding and debonding systems which enable thin wafer processing in volume manufacturing and offer advanced capabilities for UltraThin® wafer processing.
  
• EV Group entered the Chinese market with two new sales representations.
• Introduction of company wide ERP Systems (Enterprise Resource Planning): SAP
• 70% headquarters building and manufacturing floor expansion (~to 11000 m²).

2002

• The new 300 mm automated IQ Aligner®, which targets wafer level packaging and advanced MEMS applications, is another innovative highlight. It combines latest lithography and multiple reliable alignment techniques in one system. 
  
• EV Group introduced the first 300 mm Production Wafer Bonding System and 300 mm SmartView® Wafer-to-Wafer Bond Aligner. 
• Several further 300 mm tool sets (resist processing systems, wafer and mask cleaning systems, wafer bonding systems) were completed and introduced to the market.

2003

• Founding of EVG-Jointech Corp. in Chung-Li, Taiwan.
• EV Group announced LowTemp® Plasma Bonding which is available on any of EV Group’s wafer bonding system to achieve highest bond strength at lowest annealing temperature.
  

2004

• Introduced Chip-to-Wafer bonding system for bonding a wafer with single devices.
  
• Large area spray coating system.
• Dry film lamination system.
• Launched new EVG®6200 Infinity Mask Aligner and NanoAlign® technology.
• Developed the EVG®570PMI Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) system for data storage applications.
• Certification according to ISO 9001:2000.

2005

• Launch of new EVG®520IS Wafer Bonding System.
  
• Automated equipment for NewMEMS technology.
• Relocation and opening of new EVG North America Headquarters.
• EV Group announced Realtek Technologies Pty Ltd. as exclusive agent for Australia.

2006

• New NanoSpray technology from EVG achieves uniform resist layers on wafers with extreme topography.
• EVG Celebrates its 25th company anniversary and 15 years supplying high volume MEMS manufacturing equipment.
• EV Group offers first online shop provided by a semiconductor process equipment manufacturer at www.EVGTshop.com

2007

• Manufacturing systems for hot embossing.
  
• Manufacturing systems for double-side UV-NIL.
• Coating systems for flexible organic displays.
• Expanded manufacturing area and worldwide cleanroom facilities.
• Relocation milling center from Andorf to Headquaters.

2008

• EVG®560 Automated Wafer Bonding System up to 300 mm for 3DIC and TSV.
  
• Introduction of the ‘NT’ Series of aligners and measurement systems for 3D IC
  and other advanced semiconductor, MEMS and nanotechnology device manufacturing
• Founding of EV Group Korea Ltd.
  
  

2009

• Launch of the GEMINI FB - fully-automated production fusion bonding system
  with optical alignment for back side illuminated image sensors and 3D-IC