In June 1997, semiconductor equipment manufacturer Fusion Systems was acquired by Eaton Corporation. Fusion Systems had developed to become a leading supplier of front-end process equipment to the semiconductor industry with strong positions in photoresist ashing, post-ash residue removal and photostabilization. Ashing is a low-pollution, high-technology resist removal process that is key to new generations of semiconductor technology. Fusion Systems' photostabilizer rapidly hardens photoresist patterns on silicon wafers, which allows for greater reliability and higher yields than with conventional thermal resist stabilization methods.
