VAT Group AG plays a discreet but pivotal role in the semiconductor value chain. The Swiss company supplies valves that isolate process chambers and help regulate pressure in equipment operating under vacuum. These components are used notably in thin-film deposition and etching, two fundamental operations in chip manufacturing. Its headquarters are in Haag, in the canton of St. Gallen.
A specialization built since 1965
Founded in 1965, VAT has developed around a specific industrial expertise: designing valves suited to vacuum technologies. This specialization has gradually brought it closer to semiconductor equipment manufacturers, whose requirements for cleanliness, leak-tightness and repeatability have become more stringent as circuits have become smaller.
Its listing on SIX Swiss Exchange in 2016 marked an important milestone in its history. The group retains its Swiss roots while maintaining an international presence, including manufacturing operations in Malaysia. This organization serves a global customer base, with exposure to Asia’s major electronics production hubs. Its development relies as much on manufacturing capabilities as on engineering work carried out with equipment manufacturers.
Critical components and related services
The core offering comprises isolation and control valves designed to operate under different vacuum conditions. In a semiconductor production machine, they must withstand repeated cycles and, depending on their location, exposure to reactive substances or high temperatures. Their design also aims to limit the generation of particles that could compromise the quality of the circuits being manufactured.
VAT works with its customers at an early stage to adapt its products to equipment architectures. This qualification phase can establish a long-term commercial relationship: changing a component means checking its performance and compatibility with the process again. Beyond chips, the group also serves display manufacturing, photovoltaic applications and certain scientific or industrial equipment markets.
The services business complements sales of new valves. It notably covers spare parts, maintenance and refurbishment. For users, the aim is to maintain machine availability and process stability. For VAT, this activity creates an ongoing connection with the installed base.
What next?
The group’s outlook remains linked to investment in semiconductor factories and orders from equipment manufacturers. The development of artificial intelligence, advanced memory and more complex chip structures may support demand for vacuum processes, without eliminating the industry’s cycles.
VAT must therefore combine innovation, control of its manufacturing capacity and adaptation to fluctuations in demand. Trade restrictions and the regionalization of supply chains are also factors to monitor. Its trajectory will depend on its ability to remain integrated into new generations of machines while supporting the maintenance of existing equipment.