12 September 2011

SPTS takes 900th order for DRIE module

Plasma etch, deposition and thermal processing equipment maker SPTS Technologies of Newport, Wales, UK has received an order for its 900th DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) process module. The module will be shipped to an Asian foundry for use in micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) manufacturing.

DRIE is a highly anisotropic etch process used to create structures in silicon, and is the cornerstone of modern MEMS production, says SPTS. The use of DRIE has expanded to also include applications for power (in deep trench isolation) and through-silicon-via (TSV) in 3D-IC production. SPTS’ DRIE module is hence used worldwide across a variety of device production applications, including MEMS, advanced packaging, and power devices.

SPTS shipped its first Bosch-licensed DRIE system in 1995 through its partnership with Robert Bosch GmbH, the inventors of the ‘Bosch process’. SPTS has steadily expanded its DRIE product offerings through strategic merger and acquisition activity. In 2009, the two DRIE providers Aviza Technologies Inc and Surface Technology Systems plc (STS, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Precisions Products Co Ltd) merged to form SPP Process Technology Systems Ltd (SPTS). This February, SPTS consolidated on this further by acquiring Tegal Corp’s DRIE division (formally AMMS), which included key intellectual property (IP) for future product development. SPTS now supports what is reckoned to be the world's largest installed base of R&D and production DRIE systems. In August, SPTS completed a management buyout from SPP.

“DRIE is the foundation of the MEMS market and we have supported customers in this space from the very beginning, from the development of inductively coupled plasma processes, followed by high-power decoupled plasma sources, to our latest generation, the Pegasus Rapier system,” says executive VP & chief operating officer Kevin Crofton. “The growth of the MEMS market has been enormous in the past 5–10 years — each of us now comes into contact with a MEMS-enabled device every day,” he adds.

SPTS’ Omega etch systems comprise a suite of single-wafer etch process modules designed for a variety of market applications. The Omega DRIE process modules provide production-worthy process capability, with high throughputs and tilt control for Bosch process silicon etching used in MEMS and 3D-IC/TSV manufacturing. The Omega inductively coupled plasma (ICP) process modules offer compound semiconductor etch processes including GaAs, GaN and GaP for LEDs and high-frequency RF devices, and the Omega APS is focussed on etching dielectric and low-volatility materials, relevant to a variety of applications within the MEMS, LED and TSV markets.

Tags: SPTS DRIE

Visit: www.spts.com