Radical moves by AML!
The new ‘RAD' system was pre-ordered by QinetiQ plc in the UK, the first company to receive the new ‘RAD' system.This follows the sale of AML's first 8" machine, which was recently commissioned at IME in Singapore, and a high profile sale to ISSY is the USA, a leading MEMS manufacturer. The AML pipeline also contains many new developments including a new hot embossing tool for the fabrication of polymer micro-nano structures for micro fluidic devices and bio sensors and the launch of their new BONDCENTRE which provides wafer bonding process development & services to support the machines.
The ability to bond wafers together at lower and lower temperatures has been a prime requirement for many in the MEMS, IC, III-V and optical industries. It simply gives you more design freedom and possibilities. The introduction of the only in-situ, single machine process that can Activate, Align & Bond in one chamber will make introducing such techniques much more feasible. AML have now introduced this into their acclaimed range of Aligner-Wafer Bonders.
The use of Radicals, to activate a surface to enable low temperature bonding, offers many advantages over the use of plasmas. E.g. plasma roughens the surface and this can actually make bonding more difficult, and because of this the plasma process has a very small process window. Radicals are less damaging to any existing structures that may be present on the wafers, and also offer a more stable, reliable, better bond and bond strength than plasma activation. Because the process is carried out in one chamber, it also offers advantages in terms of yield.
Wafer bonding is a technique that originally had limited applications when it was first used in MEMS but now the use of the technique has exploded into many new areas e.g. mainstream IC, III-V, and optical devices and applications e.g.:• MEMS devices - Pressure Sensors, Accelerometers, Microfluidic devices
• Vacuum encapsulation (absolute pressure, IR detectors…)
• 1st Level Packaging to isolate package induced stresses.
• Wafer scale Packaging – MEMS & IC
• III-Vs e.g. high performance LEDs bonded reflector - heat sink
• 3D Interconnects
• Temporary bonds for handling thin wafers
• Advanced bonded substrates e.g. SOG, SOI, SOS, GaAs on Si…Smart cut - Layer transfer
AML's continued success has enabled them to move into a brand new building, which they decided to buy rather than rent. The new building is a few yards away from the new Diamond Light Synchrotron and the Rutherford Labs that are also on the Harwell site, which Lord Sainsbury has identified to become one of the UK's most important science and Technology Centres.
