Synos Technology

About Synos Technology

Synos Technology, established in 2008, carved a niche in the semiconductor equipment sector by focusing on advanced deposition technologies for the burgeoning flexible display market. The company was the brainchild of co-founders Daniel Rubin, who served as Chairman, and Dr. Sang In Lee, who was the CEO. Their leadership was pivotal in developing the company's core intellectual property. Synos designed and manufactured Fast Array Scanning Atomic Layer Deposition (FAST-ALD) systems. This technology was developed to overcome significant hurdles in the production of flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

The company's business centered on providing high-throughput, scalable ALD solutions to OLED manufacturers. The FAST-ALD technology represented a significant advancement over traditional ALD methods, which were often slow and costly. Synos's patented linear reactor system was capable of depositing thin, uniform films at lower temperatures (below 100° Celsius) and at speeds up to 10 times faster than conventional methods. This process was critical for thin-film encapsulation, a key step in making OLED displays truly flexible and durable. Beyond flexible displays for mobile devices, the technology had potential applications in OLED TVs, lighting, solar panels, and batteries.

Operating from its headquarters in Fremont, California, with additional operations in Korea, Synos Technology attracted strategic investment from players like Samsung Venture Investment. The company's trajectory culminated in a significant milestone in October 2013, when it was acquired by Veeco Instruments Inc. The acquisition was valued at an initial $70 million, with performance-based milestones that could bring the total to $185 million. Following the acquisition, the entity was renamed Veeco ALD Inc., and Synos's leadership transitioned into key roles within Veeco to continue the development and market adoption of the FAST-ALD technology.