CHAPTER PREVIEW

The company once again returned to solid growth in 2017, as we benefited from a recovery in the single-wafer ALD market with healthy demand in the logic/foundry segment, as well as substantially higher sales in the 3D-NAND segment of the memory market.

Our products

Our products include wafer processing deposition systems for single-wafer ALD, PECVD, epitaxy and batch diffusion/furnace systems. We are active in two technology segments within Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) tools: thermal ALD and plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD). Within Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) we also offer two types of tools: single-wafer plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) and batch low pressure CVD (LPCVD). And within our Epitaxy family, we offer Intrepid and Epsilon tools.

Shareholder value

The proposed dividend for 2018 will mark the eighth consecutive year that we have paid a dividend. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, we paid a dividend of €0.50 per common share. In 2015 we paid a dividend of €0.60 per common share and in 2016 and 2017 we paid a dividend of €0.70 per common share. We will propose to the forthcoming 2018 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on May 28, 2018, to declare a dividend of €0.80 per common share.