ST. FLORIAN, AUSTRIA, and ROLLA, MO., December 4, 2007 - A
key industry milestone has been reached today surrounding the handling and
processing of ultrathin wafers. In their ongoing joint development work, EV
Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer-bonding and lithography equipment
for the advanced semiconductor and packaging, MEMS, silicon-on-insulator
(SOI) and emerging nanotechnology markets, and Brewer Science, Inc., the
pioneer of industry-enabling technologies solutions for the
semiconductor/microelectronics chemicals and equipment marketplace,
unveiled they have demonstrated temporary wafer bonding capabilities for a
wide range of backside processes, including through-silicon vias (TSVs) and
backside metallization.
This latest achievement further validates the viability of the companies
unique approach, which is optimized for high-temperature advanced packaging
applications. In July 2007, EVG and Brewer Science announced that they had
combined the Brewer Science WaferBOND HT coating materials with EVG's
proven EVG850TB/DB temporary wafer bonding/debonding platform to create the
industry's first high-yield, high-performance solution for simultaneously
debonding and cleaning sub-100-micron thinned wafers up to 300mm in
diameter.
The solution resulted from a multi-year partnership formed to address
growing industry demand for flexible, yet reliable, processes and equipment
that can accommodate the challenges associated with increasingly thin and
fragile product wafers particularly for advanced 3D and wafer-level
packaging approaches. Both EVG and Brewer Science are committed to speeding
commercialization of TSVs for 3D chip stacking, as evidenced by their
membership in the EMC-3D Consortium, of which EVG is also a co-founder.
Stefan Pargfrieder, EVG Business Development Manager, said, The progress of
EVG's joint work with Brewer Science has surpassed our expectations. In
less than 18 months since initiating this development effort, we have
successfully brought to market a manufacturing process superior to anything
previously available. Moreover, demonstrating its use for TSVs, given the
importance of this technology to both companies and to the industry
overall, is crucial to enabling broad industry adoption of this approach.
Jim Lamb, Director of Corporate Business Development with Brewer Science,
concurs, These initial results offer a compelling substantiation of the
value and cost-effectiveness of using our polymeric, spin-on WaferBOND HT
system with the EVG850 platform in high-volume manufacturing environments.
Three-dimensional device stacking is essential to producing multifunctional
devices with improved performance and compact footprints. High-temperature
processing compatibility and fast debonding processing times of less than 5
minutes are important attributes to furthering the viable production
capability of this innovative technology.
EVG and Brewer Science will have key executives available to discuss its
ultrathin wafer-handling solution for advanced packaging applications
during SEMICON Japan 2007, which will start on Wednesday, December 5, and
run through Friday, December 7 at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan.
Editors/journalists are encouraged to visit the EVG booth, #5C-706, for
more information.
About Brewer Science
Brewer Science, a multidivisional technology company, has pioneered
industry-enabling innovations from ARC® anti-reflective coatings to ProTEK®
etch protective coatings. Following on its long tradition of being first to
introduce and implement cutting-edge technologies, Brewer Science is proud
to introduce WaferBOND HT temporary wafer bond series of materials. Brewer
Science is a major producer of high-quality materials, processes and
machine solutions that meet the stringent requirements of today's IC,
compound semiconductor, MEMS, and optoelectronic industries. Under the
leadership of Dr. Terry Brewer, president and founder, Brewer Science
continues to develop innovative technologies, reliable products, and
responsive services, each attuned to the specific needs of individual
customers. Further information on the technology and product information
from Brewer Science can be obtained via the company's website at
www.brewerscience.com.
About EV Group
EV Group (EVG) is a world leader in wafer-processing solutions for
semiconductor, MEMS and nanotechnology applications. Through close
collaboration with its global customers, the company implements its
flexible manufacturing model to develop reliable, high-quality,
low-cost-of-ownership systems that are easily integrated into customers’
fab lines. Key products include wafer bonding, lithography/nanoimprint
lithography (NIL) and metrology equipment, as well as photoresist coaters,
cleaners and inspection systems.
In addition to its dominant share of the market for wafer bonders, EVG
holds a leading position in NIL and lithography for advanced packaging and
MEMS. Along these lines, the company co-founded the EMC-3D consortium in
2006 to create and help drive implementation of a cost-effective
through-silicon via (TSV) process for major ICs and MEMS/sensors. Other
target semiconductor-related markets include silicon-on-insulator (SOI),
compound semiconductor and silicon-based power-device solutions.
Founded in 1980, EVG is headquartered in St. Florian, Austria, and operates
via a global customer support network, with subsidiaries in Tempe, AZ;
Albany, NY; Yokohama and Fukuoka, Japan; Seoul, Korea and Chung-Li, Taiwan.
The company's unique Triple i-approach (invent - innovate - implement) is
supported by a vertical integration, allowing EVG to respond quickly to new
technology developments, apply the technology to manufacturing challenges
and expedite device manufacturing in high volume.
Contacts:
EV Group
Tel: +43 7712 5311 0
E-mail: Marketing@EVGroup.com
Marie Labrie
Vice President
MCA, Inc.
Tel: +1-650-968-8900, ext. 119
E-mail: mlabrie@mcapr.com