Milestones

When Karl Süss founds a sales representation for optical devices of Leitz Wetzlar (later Leica) in 1949 in a garage in Munich the German after-war infrastructure still shows the signs of unsteady ruins. It takes the entrepreneur vision, commitment and a lot courage to set up a business In those days.

The company soon offers service and maintenance of the optical devices thus gaining reputation within the re-appearing research institutes and industry partners in Southern Germany.

1949

Karl Süss founds the Karl SUSS KG in Munich, Germany

When Munich-based Siemens approaches SÜSS in 1962 with a manufacturing order for thermo-compression bonding machines for transistors this marks a changing point in the history. The company moves from sales and maintenance to contract manufacturing. The first order comprises small measuring tables with stereo microscopes that temporary staff bonded together. One year later a second order follows so in 1963 SÜSS develops the prototype for the first mask aligner, the MJB3, for Siemens. Karl Süss and his two sons Ekkehard and Winfried successfully manage the flourishing manufacture and expand its business so the company soon has to move its premises to Garching outside of Munich, today still headquarters of SUSS MicroTec.

1963

SÜSS develops first mask aligner for the production of transistors

As the semiconductor industry grows various other business opportunities appears. Being an acknowledged expert in photolithography SÜSS now starts looking into the world of test systems. A first prober is released in 1970 providing random testing, measurement and optical tests. SÜSS also engages in manufacturing automatic diamond scribers that are used to divide wafers into individual chips. The first double-side mask aligner gets invented in 1974 allowing for dual-side exposure confirm the success of SUSS mask aligners.

With a loyal customer base mainly in the field of research and development SÜSS also explores its opportunities in the manufacturing environment. 1975 the first mask aligner MJB55 for full production is developed and enables SÜSS to reach out to production customers.

1970

SÜSS develops its first probe system.

1971

SÜSS opens its first European subsidiary in France.

1974

SÜSS releases its first mask aligner for full production processes.

This decade is marked for SUSS by a worldwide expansion as the semiconductor industry is reaching out to emerging markets in Asia. SÜSS starts its oversea business with a US site in Waterbury, Vermont. The first Asian subsidiary is founded in Thailand in 1983, with more sales offices in Japan, China and Taiwan to follow. With a side step into the very specialized field of xray stepper lithography SÜSS further concentrates on lithography related processes and gets ready for the production of substrate bonders.

1980

SÜSS starts oversea business in Waterbury, VT, USA.

1983

The opening of the sales site in Bangkok, Thailand, marks the start of SUSS Asian business.

1988

SUSS starts its business in Japan.

1989

SÜSS develops the first substrate bonder.

SÜSS meets the growing demands for microsystems by starting to manufacture substrate bonders in 1989. Substrate bonders are used in microsystem technology to join heterogenous materials with patterned surfaces. By taking-over S.E.T. in 1993 SÜSS adds spin coaters to its product portfolio thus complementing the existing photolithographic product lines.

The development of moduled clusters that combine several wafer processing functions in one functional unit mark another step to meet the requirements of production environments without manual intervention.

1994 Karl Süss deseases, with his eldest son Ekkehard Süss unexpectedly following him at an early age setting off a reorganisation of the SÜSS group.

1990

15. September 1990 opening of of a new SUSS site in Sacka near Dresden.

1997

SÜSS launches world’s first 300mm probing system.

1998

SÜSS MicroTec develops first full automatic bond and coater cluster for full production in one process module.

1999

With the acquisition of Fairchild Technologies SÜSS opens production site for coaters in Vaihingen, Germany and starts production of high-end coater cluster. At the same time the SÜSS MicroTec AG is going public.

The beginning of this decade is marked by SÜSS MicroTec AG going public. The SÜSS family sells the company being represented by Dr Winfried Süss in the board.

At the same time With the acquisition of Fairchild Technologies and Image Technologies SÜSS gains access to high-end application markets and further complements the product portfolio by spin coaters and photomasks. Also, SUSS MicroOptics is founded as supplier for micro optical devices. SÜSS being renamed SÜSS MicroTec in 2001 now concentrates on the technology development in the packaging field offering dedicated solutions for 3D packaging, MEMS and LED.

2001

SÜSS MicroTec acquires Image Technologies in Palo Alto, US. High-precision photomasks now complement the portfolio. The Karl SUSS group is renamed SUSS MicroTec.

2002

SUSS MicroOptics in Neuchatel, Switzerland, is founded. Mask aligner and coater go into for 300mm wafer production. SÜSS MicroTec opens a sales office in China.

2004

SÜSS MicroTec develops its first mask aligner for sub-micron processes.

2005

SÜSS MicroTec’ s first spray coater directed for the 3D integration and MEMS market is released.

2006

The remanufacturing business of SÜSS equipment is launched in Oberschleissheim near Munich. It encompasses sales, service and original spare parts and offers quality guarantee on used SÜSS equipment. At the same time the bond cluster module for SOI (silicon-on-insulator) hits the market.

2007

SÜSS MicroTec sells its device bonder business unit while the Test Systems division manages a measurement environment free from interferences with its new ProbeShield technology.

2008

SÜSS MicroTec releases various equipment for 3D packaging, e.g. a next-generation mask aligner and a wafer bonder dedicated for CMOS image sensor applications.

2010

SUSS MicroTec AG sells Test Systems Division and acquires HamaTech APE.

2011

SUSS MicroTec included in the TecDAX. SUSS MicroTec sells mask manufacturing business.

SÜSS MicroTec tackles the challenge of 3D integration. As one of the first equipment suppliers worldwide the company offers solutions for manufacturing wafer-level cameras. Moreover, it methodically approaches the challenging temporary bonding processes that signify one of the barriers for the commercialization of 3D integration technology and supplies the industry with a wide range of functional process technologies. Its latest alliances with research institutes worldwide show that SÜSS MicroTec stands at the forefront of innovations.