24 September 2012

EVG sells first ZoneBOND temporary bonding/debonding system to compound semiconductor device maker

EV Group (EVG) of St Florian, Austria, a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system), nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, has received an order for its EVG850 temporary bonding/debonding (TB/DB) systems from a “leading maker of compound semiconductor-based components”. The order marks the first implementation of ZoneBOND TB/DB technology in the manufacture of compound semiconductors, whose rapid growth is being driven by the unrelenting demand for smart phones and other mobile products, says the firm.

“The compound semiconductor market has always been a front runner in driving the introduction of new temporary bonding/debonding technologies – starting from solvent-assisted debonding, tape debonding, slide-off debonding and now ZoneBOND,” notes business development director Dr Thorsten Matthias. “EVG has provided TB/DB equipment to the compound semiconductor market for over 10 years. And, the introduction of ZoneBOND is a natural evolutionary step,” he adds. “EVG’s low-temperature debonding technology and our ZoneBOND Open Platform approach enable a standardization of processes and equipment, which provides customers with a wide choice of bonding materials for increased flexibility during thin-wafer processing.”

EVG says that, since its introduction in October 2011, ZoneBOND TB/DB technology has gained a foothold in the semiconductor industry. Organizations such as the semiconductor R&D institute Fraunhofer IZM ASSID (All Silicon System Integration Dresden) have received ZoneBOND equipment for processes and materials qualification as part of a joint development agreement with EVG. The firm says that, with a strong supply chain supported by leading materials suppliers and continuing to expand, users will continue to have increasing flexibility to choose the material adhesive that best suits their manufacturing requirements and processes.

Initially created to drive the advancement of 3D IC commercialization, EVG’s ZoneBOND technology provides an approach for temporary wafer bonding, thin-wafer processing, and debonding applications – overcoming the remaining limitations associated with thin-wafer processing, it is claimed. Benefits of ZoneBOND include: standardization of processes and equipment, the use of silicon or glass carriers; compatibility with existing field-proven adhesive platforms; and the ability to debond at room temperature with virtually no vertical force being applied to the device wafer, the firm adds.

To support grinding and backside processing at high temperatures and to allow for low-force carrier separation, ZoneBOND defines two distinctive zones on the carrier wafer surface, with strong adhesion in the perimeter (edge zone) and minimal adhesion in the center zone. As a result, only low separation force is required for carrier separation once the polymeric edge adhesive has been removed by solvent dissolution or other means. The EZR (Edge Zone Release) and EZD (Edge Zone Debond) modules can be integrated easily in EVG's high-volume manufacturing equipment platforms such as the EVG850 TB/DB Series.

Tags: EVG ZoneBOND

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