European silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer producer Soitec is in the process of accepting the complete tool set needed to produce 300mm wafers at its Bernin II facility in France. The toolset includes ion-implantation, bonding, chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) and metrology tools. Twelve production lines with a capacity of 1.2mn wafer starts per year are planned for installation at the new facility. These will be used for the production of 300mm and 200mm SOI wafers. Production in this new, state-of-the-art facility is expected to commence before the end of the year, with the first line due for qualification in November.

"At Soitec, we have both high-volume production capacity in place and a
two-year advantage in the 300mm thin-film wafer arena," reports company
president Andre Auberton-Herve.
The company's first production site, Bernin I, has been in operation since
1998. This facility has recently reached full capacity. Bernin II will raise
Soitec's annual capacity to more than 2mn 200mm equivalent UNIBOND SOI wafer
starts when fully equipped.

Tower Semiconductor has entered into a definitive agreement with the Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan for an investment of $15mn. OTPP will buy 2.7mn Tower
shares at $5.60 each and will also receive four year warrants to purchase an
additional 1.2mn Tower shares at $7.50. The OTPP deal will close after Tower
has raised at least $15mn in an associated rights offering.
The company has already completed the first phase of its 200mm Fab 2
cleanroom and implemented a 0.18micron process.

Air Liquide has begun construction of a new Advanced Products Laboratory to
support the development of precursors for the semiconductor industry at the
company's Dallas Chemical Center in Texas. The laboratory will be completed
during Q4 2002.