Headquartered in Chaska, Minnesota, USA, FSI is a global supplier of surface conditioning equipment and technology to the world’s leading integrated circuit (IC) and microelectronics manufacturers.
FSI offers a complete portfolio of proven cleaning technologies to address the unique requirements of its customers, including batch and single wafer platforms for immersion, spray and cryokinetic products.
Founded in 1973 on the premise that collaborating closely with customers enables IC manufacturers to meet their business goals better and faster, FSI supports this philosophy of collaborative innovation with a comprehensive approach to technology advancement, differentiated products, a global infrastructure, and strong local support to help IC manufacturers drive down their overall cost of manufacturing and migrate to the next technology generation.
FSI has always recognized the importance of advanced product and applications development, establishing one of the industry’s first equipment supplier-based laboratories more than 25 years ago. Today, FSI works for and with its customers — in FSI’s Class 1 demonstration and development laboratory and in IC manufacturing facilities worldwide — to develop, demonstrate and integrate solutions to meet their specific needs.
FSI’s global network of offices is staffed by highly trained, responsive, dedicated teams, all backed by the experience and expertise of the Chaska, Minnesota, USA headquarters.
Overview
Headquartered in Chaska, Minnesota, USA, FSI International is a leading global supplier of surface conditioning technologies to integrated circuit (IC) and other microelectronics manufacturers.
The company offers a complete portfolio of cleaning technologies, including batch and single wafer platforms for immersion, spray, vapor and cryokinetic cleaning products.
The company’s process technologies enable customers to drive down their overall cost of manufacturing and migrate to the next technology generation.
Founded
1973
Employees
Approximately 280 worldwide
Funding
Publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market: FSII
Headquarters
3455 Lyman Boulevard
Chaska, Minnesota 55318-3052
Phone: (952) 448-5440
Fax: (952) 448-2825
Manufacturing Facilities and Labs
World Headquarters: Chaska, Minnesota, USA
- 189,000 sq. ft. surface conditioning products manufacturing, engineering and process laboratory
Allen, Texas: POLARIS® Systems and Service and new product development
- 66,000 sq. ft. manufacturing, engineering and development laboratory
Apprecia Technology Inc.
Okayama, Japan
- 39,000 sq. ft. technology center
Customer Support
Direct sales, service, and support offices located throughout the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific Rim and through Apprecia Technology Inc., a Japanese distribution company.
Products:
Surface Conditioning Systems:
- ORION® Single Wafer Cleaning Cluster
- ZETA® Spray Cleaning System
- MERCURY® Spray Cleaning System
- ANTARES® Cryokinetic Cleaning System
- MAGELLAN® Immersion Cleaning System
Resist Processing Systems:
- POLARIS® Microlithography Cluster
Global Partners
Sales and support in Japan through Apprecia Technology Inc., www.appreciatech.jp
Management Team
- Don Mitchell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Benno Sand, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Investor Relations and Secretary
- Patricia Hollister, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary
- John Ely, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Services
- Scott Becker, Vice President of Engineering
- John Walker, Vice President, Operations
- Hosung Song, General Manager, Korea
- Alan Tai, General Manager, Southeast Asia and Greater China Region
1973
- FSI International, originally named Fluoroware Systems Corporation, is founded in Chaska, Minnesota
- First centrifugal spin dryer (Model K–10) manufactured for drying silicon wafers
- FSI joins Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI)
1974
- Introduces hot plates
1975
- Introduces 8200 series new line of clean machines
- Co-founds Metron Semiconductor Europa, international distributor of semiconductor equipment and materials
1976
- Introduces 2120 series of acid spray processors
1977
- Company changes name to FSI Corporation
1980
- Builds new 42,000 sq. ft. corporate headquarters in Chaska
1982
- Introduces SATURN® Spray Processor
- Introduces NEPTUNE® line of rinser/dryers
1983
- Establishes FSI Japan for rinser/dryer production
- Introduces TITAN® Spray System
1984
- Introduces ATLAS® Developer System
1985
- Acquires Semiconductor Technologies Inc.
- Breaks ground for expansion of corporate headquarters in Chaska
- Introduces PHOENIX® rinser/dryer
- Obtains license agreement to manufacture Convac equipment
- Enters chemical management market and commercializes bulk chemical distribution
- Forms Metron Semiconductors Asia
1986
- Receives first Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
1987
- FSI Corporation changes name to FSI International Inc.
- Receives second Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
- Introduces EXCALIBUR® EOS Gas Processing System with vapor phase technology
1988
- Receives third Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
- SEMI/SEMATECH is formed and FSI becomes a member
- Begins shipping MERCURY® Spray Cleaning System
- Receives the R&D 100 Award for Vapor Phase Technology
1989
- FSI becomes a publicly listed company
- Receives fourth Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
1990
- Licenses POLARIS® Microlithography Cluster technology from Texas Instruments
1991
- Establishes m•FSI, joint venture with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Chlorine Engineers Corp., Ltd.
- Ships first POLARIS® Microlithography Cluster
1992
- Awarded SEMATECH "Partnering for Total Quality" Award
- Opens microlithography operations in Dallas, Texas
1993
- Receives first VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award - Customer Satisfaction
1994
- Receives second VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Receives Editors' Choice Best Product Awards from Semiconductor International for the EXCALIBUR® ISR, MERCURY® MP and POLARIS® Microlithography Cluster Systems
- First semiconductor equipment manufacturing company to receive ISO 9001 certification
1995
- Two-for-one split of common stock
- Receives fifth Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
- Builds 115,000 sq. ft. manufacturing headquarters for surface conditioning products in Chaska
- Licenses cryogenic aerosol cleaning techology from IBM
- Acquires Applied Chemical Solutions
1996
- Receives third VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Receives sixth Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
- Introduces ARIES® Cryogenic System
- ARIES® System receives Best New Product Award from Semiconductor International
- Acquires Semiconductor Systems Inc.
- OrbiTrak® System receives Editor’s Choice Best Product Award from Semiconductor International
1997
- Expands the surface conditioning headquarters, adding 93,000 sq. ft. for engineering and state-of-the-art laboratory
- Introduces ZETA® Spray Cleaning System
- Builds 159,000 sq. ft. engineering, manufacturing and laboratory facility in Allen, Texas for microlithography products
1998
- Receives fourth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Introduces ANTARES® Cryokinetic Cleaning System
1999
- Receives fifth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Introduces POLARIS® 3500 Microlithography System
- Acquires YieldUP® International Corporation
- Divests Chemical Management Division to BOC Edwards
- Introduces CALYPSO™ Spin-On Dielectric System with Instacure™ Module
- Don Mitchell joins FSI as CEO and President
2000
- DIO3 Generation Module receives Editor's Choice Best Product Award from Semiconductor International
- Introduces ZETA® FE and BE Spray Cleaning Systems
2001
- Receives sixth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
2002
- Joel Elftmann retires as Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Don Mitchell named Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Receives seventh Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award
- Receives seventh VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Introduces MAGELLAN® Immersion Cleaning System
- Metron Technology and FSI International announce early termination of distribution agreement
2003
- FSI achieves ISO 9001:2000 certification
- FSI receives ISO 14001 environmental certification
- FSI stops new product development in the microlithography market
- FSI introduces the POLARIS® Systems & Services (PSS) organization and the POLARIS® Refresh Program™
- FSI introduces FlashClean™ Advantage package for the ZETA® system
- FSI introduces AspectClean™ CryoKinetic process for the ANTARES® system
2004
- FSI introduces the Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (Asia) in Taiwan and China
- Receives eighth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (EMEA) in Germany, France and Italy
2005
- FSI announces New PlatNiStrip™ Process for nickel platinum films
- Receives ninth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- FSI launches the EcoBlend™ process series of cost-effective dilute acid cleaning solutions
- ANTARES® System receives Editor's Choice Best Product Award from Semiconductor International
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (Asia) in Taiwan, Korea and China
2006
- FSI announces ZETA® system ViPR™ technology for ash-free, wet resist stripping
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (USA) in Austin, Dallas, New York, San Jose and Portland
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (EMEA) in France, Germany and Israel
2007
- FSI expands ZETA® system ViPR™ technology to metal stripping for salicide formation
- FSI expands its technology portfolio for advanced high-k gate applications
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (Asia) in Korea, Singapore, China and Taiwan
2008
- Receives tenth VLSI Research 10 BEST Suppliers Award
- FSI single wafer cleaning technology selected for development of 32nm BEOL cleaning processes
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (EMEA) in Israel, Italy, France and Germany
- Knowledge Services Seminar™ Series (Asia) in Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Hsinchu and Taichung
- Introduces ORION® Single Wafer Cleaning Cluster and receives initial order
2009
- Receives follow-on order ORION® Single Wafer Cleaning Cluster for 45nm production
- FSI announces ZETA® system ViPR™ technology for ash-free, wet resist stripping in the memory market
FSI International is proud to do its part in preserving the environment and protecting workers' health and safety. FSI was one of the founders of SEMI's Global Care™ initiative. Global Care is the semiconductor manufacturing industry's commitment to environmental, health and safety management, leadership and innovation.
Global Care is based on five high-level principles:
Workplace Health and Safety
Seek to prevent injury and illness in the workplace; provide safeguards and training for employees and contractors within the workplace.
Resource Conservation
Seek to design, build and operate manufacturing and office facilities that optimize water, energy, chemical and material use and reduce waste generation and emissions to the air, water and land.
Product Stewardship
Seek to minimize the environmental impact and safety risks of products and/or services.
Community Service
Seek to positively impact and strengthen the quality of life within the communities and neighborhoods in which we live and work. Through outreach, education, participation and compliance with relevant laws and regulations, we seek to govern and manage our operations consistent with the foregoing commitments to workplace health and safety, resource conservation, and product stewardship.
Excellence
Systematically set company goals and measure performance related to Global Care principles and excellence in EHS management practices.
For more information on Global Care, please visit the EH&S Web page found at
Environmental Policy
FSI International is dedicated to protecting the environment and human health by conserving natural resources and preventing pollution at our facilities and lessening the ecological impact of our core products and processes. Through sponsorship of SEMI’s Global Care™ Principles, FSI is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and leader not only through resource conservation, but workplace health and safety, product stewardship, community service and excellence.
FSI International’s goals will incorporate more than maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements. FSI will strive to continually improve upon our performance and the performance of our products. FSI will assess the environmental impacts of our activities and products and use these assessments as the basis for sound environmental management programs and to establish appropriate objectives and targets.
FSI International will communicate this policy to all employees and on-site contractors to ensure everyone is aware of their individual responsibilities. Everyone at the Company, starting with the executive level and continuing throughout the organization, will be responsible for ensuring FSI maintains a successful Environmental Management System.
FSI International will periodically review objectives and targets to assess progress toward continual improvement. This policy will be made available to the public.
Environmental Health & Safety Products
Being a champion of the environment, FSI International designs products and processes with Environmental Health & Safety concerns in mind. While reducing environmental impact, these solutions also reduce cost-of-ownership (COO) through reduction of water and chemical usage.Some of these solutions also improve performance and productivity.
Some Notable Environmental Health and Safety Solutions
Ozone process, available on the MAGELLAN® Immersion Cleaning System and the ZETA® Spray Cleaning Systems, uses ozonated water to replace chemicals for FEOL photoresist removal, FEOL post-ash clean, and critical clean applications.
Cryokinetic process, available on the ANTARES® CX Advanced Cleaning System, is an all-dry process using inert gases frozen at cryogenic temperatures. The Cryokinetic process effectively replaces scrubber technology, which uses large amounts of water and sometimes requires wet chemicals too.
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is a management system that empowers an organization to address the environmental impact of its activities, services, products and people. It provides a framework for companies to take steps to identify issues significant to them and implement environmental management programs to achieve improved performance. Adherence to ISO 14001 allows companies to reaffirm that quality and environmental processes are essential components of their business strategy.
In December 2000, Don Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer, formally declared FSI International as a founding participant in SEMI’s Global Care™ initiative. Global Care™ is a voluntary program incorporating five principles into Environmental Health & Safety. These principles are workplace health and safety, resource conservation, product stewardship, community service and excellence.
“FSI has a long history of environmentally-friendly practices and an R&D program that actively seeks out ways to operate more efficiently. We believe that adherence to ISO 14001 is simply part of being a responsible corporate citizen,” said Don Mitchell. “We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees, as well as the environment in which both FSI and our customers operate, and we have implemented an environmental management system that emphasizes our dedication to resource conservation.”
FSI's current objectives and targets focus on these areas:
- Water reduction initiatives
- Equipment design for the environment
- Energy reduction initiatives