What LPE does

LPE S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of epitaxial reactors used to deposit crystalline silicon and silicon carbide (SiC) layers on semiconductor wafers for power electronics applications. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Baranzate (Milan) with an epitaxial technology center and plant in Catania, the company designs single-wafer and batch reactors for 150mm and 200mm substrates, including the PE1O6 (single-wafer 150mm SiC), PE1O6A (cassette-to-cassette SiC), and the PE 2061 S / PE 3061 silicon barrel reactors. Its core technology centers on hot wall inductive heating, multi-zone gas injection, and the proprietary Bubbler chlorosilane saturator for run-to-run thickness uniformity. LPE sells capital equipment directly to global semiconductor manufacturers and automotive Tier 1 suppliers targeting electric-vehicle power electronics, and offers regional service and spare-parts support across Asia and Europe through local service centers. Following its October 2022 acquisition by ASM International for an enterprise value of €425 million, LPE operates as a wholly-owned product unit under ASM's Global Products organization, with revenue projected to exceed €100 million in 2023 and profitability in line with ASM's 2021-2025 target model.

Name

LPE

Legal name

LPE S.p.A.

Website

https://lpe-epi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LPE S.p.A. designs and manufactures epitaxial reactors for silicon and silicon carbide wafers, serving global semiconductor and automotive power-electronics manufacturers, and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASM International following its 2022 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

SIC

Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Epitaxy Materials & Services (Epi Wafers/MBE/MOCVD) (HDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compound Semiconductor Wafers & Substrates (SiC/GaN/GaAs/InP/Sapphire) (HDAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Epitaxial reactor systems
• Silicon carbide equipment
• Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
• Wafer processing tools
• Power electronics production

Headquarters

HQ city

Bologna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SiC Epitaxy Equipment Sales: Sale of epitaxial reactors for silicon carbide power electronics applications, primarily targeting electric vehicle market and semiconductor manufacturers. This is the primary revenue driver with projections exceeding €100 million in 2023.
2. Silicon Epitaxy Equipment Sales: Sale of epitaxial reactors for silicon power applications covering Schottky, Power Transistor, PowerMos, Rectifier, IGBT, CMOS, Buried Layers, and Mixed Technology applications.
3. Service and Support: Regional service centers across Asia and Europe providing spare parts, maintenance, and technical support for installed reactor fleet.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LPE S.p.A. designs and manufactures epitaxial reactors for silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon wafers used in power electronics manufacturing. Its portfolio includes single-wafer and cassette-to-cassette SiC reactors (PE1O6, PE1O6A), batch barrel reactors (PE 2061 S, PE 3061) for applications such as Schottky diodes, IGBTs, PowerMOS and CMOS, and the patented Bubbler tool that improves thickness uniformity. The reactors serve global semiconductor manufacturers producing power devices for electric vehicles, smart energy, smart mobility and industrial applications.

Product overview

LPE is a manufacturer of epitaxial reactors for silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon wafer processing. The company offers a portfolio of epitaxial reactors including the PE1O6 (single wafer 150mm SiC reactor), PE1O6A (cassette-to-cassette SiC reactor), PE 2061 S Batch reactor, and PE 3061 (with automatic wafer loading). Supporting these core products is the Bubbler, a patented tool for improving run-to-run thickness uniformity in epitaxial processes. The products support both 150mm and 200mm substrates for power electronics applications including electric vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PE1O6 Silicon Carbide Epitaxial Reactor Single wafer 150mm silicon carbide epitaxial reactor equipped with hot wall inductive heating, three-zone gas injection system, load lock for inert purge between runs and robotized handling. Supports thin, thick, and super thick epitaxial layers with multilayer capability in a single run for power electronics manufacturers.
• PE1O6A Cassette-to-Cassette SiC Epitaxy Reactor Cassette-to-cassette silicon carbide epitaxial reactor providing automated wafer loading and handling for SiC device manufacturers, improving throughput and production efficiency for power electronics fabs.
• PE 2061 S Batch Reactor (Barrel Reactor Family) Barrel-type silicon epitaxial reactor with medium frequency heating for batch processing of large wafers, serving applications such as Schottky diodes, Power Transistors, PowerMOS, Rectifiers, IGBT devices, CMOS and buried layers.
• PE 3061 Reactor with Automatic Wafer Loading Silicon epitaxial reactor with automatic wafer loading and medium frequency heating, covering the full range of power electronics applications on large wafers.
• Bubbler (Liquid Chlorosilane Bubbler Saturator) Patent-protected liquid chlorosilane bubbler saturator that fits LPE epitaxial reactors to significantly improve run-to-run thickness uniformity. The cylinder is filled to about 70% with liquid Chlorosilane and uses water jacket temperature control (18-25 degrees Celsius) to ensure highly stable silicon delivery to the reactor.

Quantifiable outcome

• SiC epitaxy equipment market CAGR >25% from 2021-2025
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tomoe Engineering Co., Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 October 2019Tomoe Engineering serves as LPE's sales and service organization in Japan. They handle distribution and support for LPE's SiC epitaxy equipment including the PE106A and new 200mm reactor, representing LPE to Japanese customers in the rapidly growing SiC market.
• REACTION Consortium (First and European SiC Eight Inches Pilot Line)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPE is one of 27 partners in the REACTION project, part of H2020-ECSEL-2017-1. The project aims to establish the first 200mm SiC Pilot Line in the world. LPE's role is to design and manufacture a new 200mm SiC epitaxial reactor for production applications.
• EleGaNTe Consortium (Electronics on GaN-based Technologies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPE participates in the EleGaNTe R&D program (PON RICERCA E INNOVAZIONE 2014-2020). LPE develops an innovative SiC high resistivity epitaxial layer on 4H-SiC substrate for GaN deposition to reduce costs compared to traditional semi-insulating substrates.
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian National Research Council. Listed as a research link on LPE's R&D resources page alongside other academic and research institutions.
• Politecnico di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a research link on LPE's R&D resources page. Partnership supports LPE's ongoing development of epitaxial technologies.
• Politecnico di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a research link on LPE's R&D resources page. Partnership supports LPE's ongoing development of epitaxial technologies.
• AIC (Associazione Italiana di Cristallografia)minorOthersItalian Association of Crystallography. Listed as a research link on LPE's R&D resources page.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Veeco Instruments: Veeco manufactures MOCVD and other thin-film deposition equipment for compound semiconductor and SiC epitaxy. It competes head-to-head with LPE in epitaxial reactor sales to power electronics and photonics fabs.
• NuFlare Technology: NuFlare is a Japanese manufacturer of epitaxial deposition systems for silicon and SiC power device production. It is a direct peer in epitaxy reactors, particularly in the Japanese market where LPE partners with Tomoe Engineering.
• Aixtron SE: Aixtron is a leading global supplier of MOCVD and CVD deposition equipment used in SiC, GaN, and silicon epitaxy for power electronics and LED applications. It is LPE's most direct competitor in SiC epitaxy reactors serving the same EV and power-device customer base.

Others

• Wolfspeed: Wolfspeed is a leading SiC wafer and device manufacturer and a major downstream customer for SiC epitaxy equipment. While not a direct equipment competitor, it is a key customer reference and technology bellwether for LPE's served market.
• Resonac (Showa Denko): Resonac is a major Japanese supplier of SiC epitaxial wafers and substrates to power electronics manufacturers. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct equipment competitor, but competes with LPE's downstream customers in the SiC value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Tokyo Electron (TEL): Tokyo Electron is a major global semiconductor equipment manufacturer with deposition and epitaxy product lines that compete with LPE. While not exclusively focused on SiC epitaxy, its scale and customer reach make it a broad incumbent competitor.
• Applied Materials: Applied Materials is the largest semiconductor equipment company globally with extensive deposition and epitaxy offerings. Its broad portfolio, deep R&D budget, and global service footprint position it as a broad incumbent threat in SiC epitaxy equipment.
• ASM International: ASM International is LPE's parent company post-2022 acquisition and a major supplier of deposition equipment (epitaxy, PECVD, ALD) for semiconductor fabs. While now the corporate parent, ASM's epitaxy product lines historically overlap with LPE's core technology area.

Emerging players

• CVD Equipment Corporation: CVD Equipment Corporation manufactures custom chemical vapor deposition and epitaxy systems for research and small-scale production. It overlaps with LPE in epitaxy equipment but at a smaller scale and with a focus on research and specialty applications.
• SICC Co., Ltd. SICC is a Chinese SiC substrate and epitaxial wafer producer that has expanded into SiC epitaxy equipment development. It represents an emerging, regionally focused competitor in the SiC value chain that intersects with LPE's served market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LPE