Nanotechnology : Nasdaq nanotechnology stocks

Abraxis Bioscience, Inc.

Benj — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 16:04:27 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.abraxisbio.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

11777 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 550

Zip or postal code

90049

Telephone

(310) 826-8505

Fax

(310) 826-8525

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Abraxis BioScience is an integrated, global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to meeting the needs of critically ill patients. The company develops, manufactures, and markets one of the broadest portfolios of injectable products and innovates revolutionary core technology such as its nab technology platform to discover and deliver breakthrough therapeutics that transform the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

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Accelrys, Inc.

Benj — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 15:27:48 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.accelrys.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

10188 Telesis Court, Suite 100

Zip or postal code

92121

Telephone

+1 858 799 5000

Fax

+1 858 799 5100

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Accelrys, Inc.(NASDAQ: ACCL), formerly Pharmacopeia, Inc., incorporated in 1993, develops and commercializes scientific software and technology that accelerates and improves drug discovery and chemical development. The Company's molecular modeling, simulation, informatics, workflow and data pipelining software supports both the life sciences and materials research markets. Its life science solutions support pharmaceutical biotechnology companies, while its material science solutions support companies that develop companies that develop and optimize materials and chemicals, such as companies serving the chemicals, petrochemicals, food, personal care products, electronics and nanotechnology industries.

Accelrys' software covers a range of disciplines, including gene sequence analysis, proteomics, rational drug design, lead optimization, materials research and formulation design. These software products help researchers increase the speed and efficiency of the research and development cycle. Accelrys' software customers include government and academic institutions, as well as commercial organizations within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, petroleum and semiconductor sectors. Accelrys has active license agreements with a number of chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations.

Accelrys' Modeling and Simulation software product suite is comprised of quantum mechanical simulation, molecular simulation and mesoscale simulation technologies. This product suite consists of over 100 application modules based on its own technologies that merge fundamental scientific principles with advanced computer visualization, molecular modeling and computational chemistry techniques. These products, which are principally used by specialist computational chemists and biologists, allow scientists to compute chemical, biological and materials properties, to simulate, visualize and analyze chemical and biological systems and to communicate the results to other scientists. These products have been designed within flexible software architectures that facilitate the development, integration and deployment of new products. It also offers open access to many of its core software development environments.

The Company's line of Informatics Software is comprised of bioinformatics and cheminformatics solutions. Its bioinformatics solutions include a suite of programs enabling molecular biologists to search, edit, compare, map and align sequence data. Researchers use these products to enable the analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and protein sequences and structure, predict ribonucleic acid (RNA) secondary structure and annotate protein sequences. The Company also provides enterprise-wide tools that assist in the management and analysis of this data. Accelrys' cheminformatics software includes data visualization and analysis software to search, retrieve and use chemical structures, biological and chemical data, experimental data and registration information. Most of these tools use industry standard software components and are compliant with commonplace applications, such as Microsoft Excel. Accelrys also uses this cheminformatics component technology and database architectures to build customized enterprise-wide systems for client companies, and also sells these implemented components to customers who want to build or customize their own systems.

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ADE Phase Shift

Benj — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:43:51 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.phase-shift.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

3470 E. Universal Way

Zip or postal code

85706

Telephone

(520) 573-9250

Fax

(520) 573-9355

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

ADE Phase Shift is a wholly owned subsidiary of ADE Corporation (Nasdaq: ADEX). As a company we design and build high precision systems for measuring the flatness, roughness and shape of advanced technology surfaces.

ADE Phase Shift was founded in Tucson as Phase Shift Technology, Inc. in 1987, by Chris Koliopoulos, Ph.D. and David Basila. The company soon offered a variety of interferometry-based products, including fringe analysis software, laser-based Fizeau interferometers, and microscope-based white light interferometers.
Interferometers use the natural wave properties of light, reflected from a surface to be tested, to map the tiniest surface height variations. Using interferometry, telescope mirror manufacturers gauge the quality and focus of their mirrors, and disk drive manufacturers make sure the platters used in computer disk drives are flat enough to withstand the high speeds and close quarters of the interior of a computer drive. It was Phase Shift interferometers that were used by the company that made the lenses that fixed the orbital Hubble telescope's blurred vision.

In 1998, Phase Shift Technology merged with Massachusetts-based ADE Corporation, a manufacturer of metrology equipment for the semiconductor and data storage industries. Since that time, the company has been called ADE Phase Shift.

ADE Phase Shift now makes products with applications for the measuring of the surface topology of polished silicon wafers, as well as systems for measuring critical surfaces in the hard disk industry, and many needs of optics manufacturers.

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Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Benj — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 17:42:11 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.advanced-energy.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

1625 Sharp Point Drive

Zip or postal code

80525

Telephone

800.446.9167

Fax

970.407.6550

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Advanced Energy (AE) offers a comprehensive suite of focused technologies critical to high-technology manufacturing processes worldwide. AE's suite of products is critical to the production of semiconductors, flat panel displays, data storage products, compact discs, digital video discs, architectural glass, and other advanced product applications. Leveraging its diverse product portfolio, AE offers solutions that maximize process impact, improve productivity, and lower cost of ownership for its customers. This portfolio includes solutions in power, flow and thermal management, plasma and ion beam sources, and integrated process monitoring and control for original equipment manufacturers and end-users around the world.

AE operates in regional centers in North America, Asia, and Europe and offers global sales and support through direct offices, representatives, and distributors. Founded in 1981, AE is publicly held and traded on NASDAQ as AEIS. AE continues to enter new markets through strategic acquisitions and partnerships, as well as to internally develop proprietary, process-focused technologies—all key elements that further strengthen the company's position in process-critical, scalable, highly-patented technologies.

For the semiconductor and related industries, AE is the market-share leader for process power and a market leader in thermal management and gas flow. AE continually develops proprietary technology for process power, thermal management, source technology, and gas flow. In fact, our development efforts for the gas flow market were rewarded with our PrimAera digital mass flow controller being named one of MICRO magazine's Top 25 Product All-Stars for 2002.

For the very large-scale integration (VLSI) markets, AE is expanding our proprietary development of high-end power supply technologies for computing, data communications, and automated test equipment.

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Patents

Advanced Magnetics, Inc.

Benj — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:08:59 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.advancedmagnetics.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

61 Mooney St.

Zip or postal code

02138

Telephone

(617) 497-2070

Fax

(617) 547-2445

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Combidex is our investigational molecular imaging agent consisting of iron oxide nanoparticles for use in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to aid in the differentiation of cancerous from non-cancerous lymph nodes. Combidex received an approvable letter, subject to certain conditions, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2000. In September 2004, we submitted a complete response to the approvable letter, which was accepted by the FDA and assigned a user fee goal date of March 30, 2005.

Ferumoxytol, the next-generation product in our development pipeline, is currently in Phase III multi-center clinical trials for use as an iron replacement therapeutic in anemic chronic kidney disease patients, whether or not on dialysis. Exploratory Phase II clinical trials of ferumoxytol for use as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are currently ongoing.

Feridex I.V.О®, our liver contrast agent, is approved and marketed in Europe, Japan, the United States and other countries. GastroMARK, our oral contrast agent used for delineating the bowel in MRI, is approved and marketed in Europe, the United States and other countries.

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Patents

Albany Molecular Research, Inc.

Benj — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 15:48:57 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.albmolecular.com/

Contact Email

info@albmolecular.com

Short description

Street address

21 Corporate Circle, PO Box 15098

Zip or postal code

12212-5098

Telephone

518-464-0279

Fax

518-464-0289

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Founded in 1991, Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMRI) is a chemistry-based drug discovery and development company, focusing on applications for new small molecule prescription drugs. The company conducts R&D projects and collaborates with many leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and genomics companies, and is developing new chemistry technology for potential prescription drug applications.

For over a decade, Albany Molecular Research, Inc. has helped pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies accelerate the movement of products through the discovery and development pipeline. From lead discovery and optimization, through process development, and on to cGMP manufacturing -- all with a fanatical devotion to quality, speed, and customer satisfaction.

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Patents

Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.

Benj — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 15:21:08 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.altairnano.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

204 Edison Way

Zip or postal code

89502

Telephone

+1.775.856.2500

Fax

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Altair Nanomaterials' key asset is its team of highly motivated and experienced researchers and scientists. The team has a broad background of research and production experience in the materials science and natural resources fields that enables it to achieve quick success in the development of advanced materials. The core research group has worked together on pigment and nanomaterials development for over eight years.

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AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Benj — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:37:16 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.amagpharma.com/

Contact Email

contactus@amagpharma.com

Short description

Street address

125 CambridgePark Drive 6th Floor

Zip or postal code

02140

Telephone

(617) 498–3300

Fax

(617) 499-3361

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Our core technology is based on the characteristic properties of extremely small, coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Our core competencies include the ability to design such nanoparticles for particular applications, to manufacture the nanoparticles in controlled sizes and to cover the nanoparticles with different coatings depending upon the application for which they will be used. Our technology and expertise enable us to synthesize, sterilize and stabilize these iron oxide nanoparticles in a manner necessary for use in pharmaceutical products such as iron replacement therapeutics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents.

Our iron oxide nanoparticles are composed of bioavailable iron that is easily absorbed by the body and incorporated into the body's iron stores. As a result, products using our core technology are well suited for use in intravenous (IV) iron replacement therapy. Additionally, the superparamagnetic characteristic of our products results in nanoparticles that become strongly magnetic when placed in a magnetic field, but lose their magnetism once the field is removed. Therefore, use of our nanoparticles results in magnetic resonance images that increase the information available to the reviewing physicians.

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Patents

American Superconductor Corporation

Benj — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 23:07:09 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.amsuper.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

Two Technology Drive

Zip or postal code

01581

Telephone

508-836-4200

Fax

508-836-4248

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Examples of nanotechnology involvement:

Jan. 26, 2004 - AMSC announced that it has successfully developed and filed a patent application for a nanotechnology-based manufacturing technique that delivers an immediate 30% increase in the electric current carrying capability of the companys second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire.

AMSC also announced that it is using another nanotechnology technique in its 2G HTS wire production Т– a nanotech surface treatment first developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and then transferred through a cooperative research agreement to AMSC.

American Superconductor Corporation is a world leader in developing and manufacturing products using superconductor wires and power electronic converters for the electric power infrastructure. American Superconductor's products, and those sold by electrical equipment manufacturers that incorporate its products, can dramatically increase the bandwidth and reliability of power delivery grids, reduce manufacturing and operating costs, and conserve resources used to produce electric power. Founded in 1987, the company is headquartered in Westborough, Mass.

About Superconductivity:

Superconducting materials are perfect conductors of electricity when they are cooled below a critical temperature; that is, they lose all resistance to the flow of electricity creating a significant increase in the power flow density of new high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires. HTS wires can conduct up to 140 times more power than conventional copper wires of the same dimension. A new family of ceramic-based HTS materials was discovered in the late 1980s. These discoveries changed the fundamental economics of superconductivity, and have opened up the range of applications for the electric power industry.

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Patents

Applied Materials

Benj — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 15:25:53 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.appliedmaterials.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

3050 Bowers Avenue, P.O. Box 58039

Zip or postal code

95054-3299

Telephone

1-408-748-5227

Fax

1-408-563-4606

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

As a core information infrastructure company, Applied Materials innovates and commercializes the processing and manufacturing technology that helps semiconductor manufacturers produce the world's most advanced chips.

Applied's service products include equipment maintenance, materials supply and management, parts refurbishment, equipment remanufacturing, yield enhancement, training and other solutions for increasing semiconductor manufacturing productivity.

To support customers around the world, Applied Materials employs approximately 12,600 people in over 65 locations throughout China; Europe and Israel; India, Malaysia and Singapore; Japan; Korea; Taiwan; and the United States.

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Patents

Arrowhead Research Corporation

Benj — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:19:45 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.arrowres.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

201 South Lake Avenue, Suite 703

Zip or postal code

91101

Telephone

(626) 304-3400

Fax

(626) 304-3401

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Leon Ekchian

Number of employees

Long description

The Company has already entered into agreements with the California Institute of Technology and three of its faculty, and is actively pursuing other potential partners at Caltech and other leading research institutions and universities.

Commercial applications that arise from Company-sponsored research projects will be developed and marketed by Arrowhead Research through a series of diversified subsidiaries representing each product or application, or through third-party licensing.

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Patents

ASML Netherlands B.V.

Benj — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:44:09 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.asml.com/

Contact Email

corpcom@asml.com

Short description

Street address

De Run 6501

Zip or postal code

Telephone

+31 40 268 3000

Fax

+31 40 268 2000

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

ASML designs, develops, integrates, markets and services advanced systems used by customers – the major global semiconductor manufacturers – to create chips that power a wide array of electronic, communications and information technology products.

With every generation, the complexity of producing integrated circuits with more functionality increases. Semiconductor manufacturers need partners that provide technology and complete process solutions. ASML is committed to providing customers with leading edge technology that is production-ready at the earliest possible date. ASML technology is supported by process solutions, enabling customers to gain and sustain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

ASML’s corporate headquarters is in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. Manufacturing sites and research and development facilities are located in Connecticut, California and the Netherlands. Technology development centers and training facilities are located in Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Taiwan and the United States. Additionally, ASML provides optimal service to its customers via over 50 sales and service organizations in 16 countries.

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Patents

Aviza Technology, Inc.

Benj — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:21:32 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.avizatechnology.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

440 Kings Village Road

Zip or postal code

95066

Telephone

+1-831-438-2100

Fax

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

n order to drive and accelerate IC innovation, chipmakers are looking for advanced technology and process solutions that can meet their aggressive production schedules, on time and on budget. Aviza offers both front-end-of-line (FEOL) and back-end-of-line (BEOL) process applications including products for atomic layer deposition (ALD), diffusion and low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) furnaces, atmospheric pressure CVD (APCVD), CVD, etch and physical vapor deposition (PVD). The company’s portfolio of proven, high productivity and low cost-of-ownership systems enable chipmakers to meet today’s challenging manufacturing requirements.

Based in Scotts Valley, Calif., Aviza has approximately 700 full-time employees and contractors supporting its customers around the globe. Aviza supports a global network of approximately 3,000 installed systems. Additional sales and customer support facilities are located in Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Taiwan, Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, and are available 24/7 to assist customers in achieving their manufacturing goals with world-class product support, field service and technical training.

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Patents

Caliper Life Sciences (formerly Caliper Technologies)

Benj — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:24:25 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.calipertech.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

68 Elm Street

Zip or postal code

01748

Telephone

508-435-9500 or 1-877-LabChip

Fax

508-435-3439

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Caliper Life Sciences (NASDAQ: CALP) provides leading microfluidic, liquid handling, and integrated laboratory automation solutions to the worldwide life science industry. Through its expertise in microfluidics, Caliper is uniquely positioned to lead the industry by evolving the company's liquid handling, detection, and integration platforms into technologically advanced LabChip systems that offer the efficiency, versatility, and exquisite data that key scientists in the pharmaceutical industry already rely on to drive their drug discovery programs. With an emphasis on product excellence, Caliper seeks to leverage its global commercial infrastructure, broad and established customer base, and innovative R&D to drive its commercial success.

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Patents

CombiMatrix Corporation

Benj — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:05:00 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.combimatrix.com/

Contact Email

sales@combimatrix.com

Short description

Street address

6500 Harbour Heights Parkway, Suite #301 Mukilteo

Zip or postal code

98275

Telephone

(425) 493-2000

Fax

(425) 493-2010

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

CombiMatrix Corporation develops life science research products based on proprietary technologies in the areas of genomics and proteomics. CombiMatrix' products are designed to aid in the discovery and development of new drugs and diagnostics for human healthcare. The flexible and customizable technology is also suitable for animal and plant research, as well as industrial and biothreat applications.

CombiMatrix' first products are semiconductor-based lab-on-a-chip tools for use in identifying and investigating the roles of genes, gene mutations and proteins. Our chip-based systems are active semiconductor devices capable of performing multiplexed assays involving DNA, RNA, proteins, peptides or small molecules.

Our Platform for Discovery' integrates a micro-fabricated semiconductor chip, proprietary software, chemistry, and hardware into a complete system that enables rapid and efficient design and production of custom microarrays. CombiMatrix' customizable microarrays will enable researchers to reduce the time and costs associated with the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products.

In addition to genomic and proteomic systems and instruments, CombiMatrix has also developed a suite of complimentary software products. These applications aid in the design and production of microarrays, as well as experimental operation and analysis of results. (CombiMatrix Corporation is comprised in the Acacia Research Corporation)

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Patents

DayStar Technologies, Inc.

Benj — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 19:15:10 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.daystartech.com/

Contact Email

info@daystartech.com

Short description

Street address

13 Corporate Drive

Zip or postal code

12065

Telephone

(518)383-4600

Fax

(518)383-7900

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

DayStar's differential position in the PV electric systems market is as the supplier of high-performance, multi-use, low-cost module products and systems. DayStars competitive advantage is through the ongoing development of early product performance and reliability testing, patented and proprietary manufacturing technology, strategic industry partnerships, and market penetration where other products cannot compete.

DayStar is pursuing a business model of selling solar cells to module manufacturing companies at a lower price than the solar Si cells presently employed. The Company is responding to a growing need for a stable, lower-cost source of solar cell components. We are presently linking with existing market channels such as distributors and system integrators to build a captive market.

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Patents

FEI Company

csmith — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:01:46 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.fei.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR

Zip or postal code

97124

Telephone

+1 (503) 726-7500

Fax

+1 (503) 726-2615

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Dr. Don R. Kania

Number of employees

Long description

FEI's Tools for Nanotech(TM), featuring focused ion- and electron-beam technologies, deliver 3D characterization, analysis and modification capabilities with resolution down to the sub-angstrom level. With R&D centers in North America and Europe, and sales and service operations in more the 40 countries around the world, FEI is bringing the nanoscale within the grasp of leading researchers and manufacturers and helping to turn some of the biggest ideas of this century into reality. FEI's World Headquarters Campus is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA.

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Patents

Flamel Technologies S.A.

Benj — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:26:40 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.flamel.com/

Contact Email

info@flamel.com

Short description

Street address

33 avenue du Dr. Georges Levy

Zip or postal code

69693

Telephone

+33 (0) 472 783 434

Fax

+33 (0) 472 783 435

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Flamels systems, Micropump for small molecules and Medusa for proteins, allow improvements in the therapeutic characteristics, safety profile and patient compliance of many drugs.

The Company is a recognized world leader in the innovation of delivery systems for small molecule and protein drugs, providing tailored solutions to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries for optimized controlled-release delivery of drugs.

Flamel has partnership agreements with major pharmaceutical companies.

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Patents

Genus, Inc. ( merged with AIXTRON AG )

Benj — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:54:36 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.genus.com/

Contact Email

Short description

Street address

1139 Karlstad Drive

Zip or postal code

94089

Telephone

Fax

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Number of employees

Long description

Established in 1981, Genus, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGNS) designs, manufactures and markets capital equipment and deposition processes for advanced semiconductor manufacturing as well as for other, emerging non-semiconductor applications.

We offer various thin film deposition modules with our own production-proven platform- the LYNX2 for 200mm wafers and more recently, the LYNX3О™ for 300mm wafers. These systems deliver processes for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) of conducting (metal) or insulating (dielectric) materials.

Our core business has been in the area of tungsten-based thin films used in the development and manufacture of memory modules (DRAM) in the semiconductor industry. However our ALD technology is gaining attention and acceptance within and beyond the semiconductor industry. With precise control capabilities and conformal step coverage of difficult high-aspect ratios, our ALD technology promises to enable near-and next-generation geometries that continue to shrink in both the semiconductor world and other industries.

In mid-2000, the company expanded marketing efforts for our ALD technology to new customers for a variety of applications beyond the memory segment of the semiconductor industry. By Q1 2001, we achieved penetration of the data storage industry for gap dielectric applications in disk drive recording heads. Additionally, we received purchase orders for ALD systems for use in logic gate applications for both 200mm and 300mm platforms. See the Markets section for further discussion on the potential of our ALD technology.

The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California (Silicon Valley), with service offices in Korea, Japan and Taiwan, and sales offices worldwide.

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Patents

Harris & Harris Group, Inc.

Benj — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:45:42 +0000

Ticker Id

Web url

http://www.hhgp.com/

Contact Email

admin@tinytechvc.com

Short description

Street address

111 West 57th Street, Suite 1100

Zip or postal code

10019

Telephone

(212) 582-0900

Fax

(212) 582-9563

Foundation date

Ceo, president

Mel Melsheimer

Number of employees

Long description

In early 2002, Harris & Harris Group announced that it would concentrate its new business activities exclusively in a single focus: tiny tech, including nanotechnology, microsystems and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Eight years earlier, the Company had invested in its first tiny tech company, Nanophase Technologies Corporation, a spin-off from Argonne National Laboratory, which subsequently completed an initial public offering in 1997. Harris & Harris Group sold its interest in Nanophase in 2001 and invested part of the proceeds of the sale in August, 2001, in privately held Nantero, Inc., a Harvard University spin-off developing a high density, nonvolatile random access memory chip using nanotechnology. Since then, Harris & Harris has made all of its new investments in tiny tech.

Our decision to concentrate on tiny tech evolved over a period of years, since our 1994 initial investment in Nanophase, as we became convinced that tiny tech would be the next frontier for capital formation and company building. With the eventual prospect of significant tiny-tech applications in all types of commercial products, we believe that our portfolio will remain somewhat diversified, even with a tiny-tech focus.

Our fundamental approach to evaluating tiny-tech companies does not depart from the classical venture capital approach that we have taken over the years with other types of technology. This approach begins with these questions: does the prospect have solid management, a product or service that fills a real need, proprietary technology, and is it aimed at a market of significant size? We also look at ease of market entry and how challenging it may be for a company to secure customers. As early-stage investors, we also look at a startup's ability to attract additional investment, whether in later rounds of venture capital financing or through an IPO or acquisition, and we like to see the startup team include someone with proven experience launching and building a company. Overall, we look for proprietary technology as a good building block around which a company can grow, with people involved who care deeply about what they are creating and building.

As a public company with permanent capital, we have an appropriate corporate and capital structure for long-term commitment to tiny-tech entities. Over the years, Harris & Harris Group has been characterized by patient investing. It is not unusual for it us to have an investment in a company for seven years or more, as we did in Nanophase, our first tiny-tech investment.