TRUMPF Photonics Chooses ClassOne's Electroplater
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer ClassOne Technology announced the sale of its Solstice S8 Plating System to one of the world's leading semiconductor laser manufacturers, TRUMPF Photonics. The new Solstice S8 will be installed at the TRUMPF facility in Cranbury, NJ, where it will be used for high-precision gold plating and metal lift-off.
"For these particular TRUMPF applications, process uniformity was extremely important, and fortunately the Solstice is very strong in that department," said Kevin Witt, ClassOne's Chief Technology Officer. "The unique elegance of the Solstice system design allows users to control processes very precisely and consistently. In this case, we needed to be able to control the stress within the deposited films, and we were able to demonstrate that quite effectively."
"We were also able to prove ClassOne's expertise and support by helping TRUMPF develop their target processes," said Win Carpenter, ClassOne's VP of Global Sales. "Our process engineers showed that they really understood what TRUMPF was shooting for "” and how to achieve it. Customers appreciate that we are very transparent with them as we work toward their process objectives. Of course, the high performance-to-price ratio of the Solstice helped make this an even easier purchase decision."
The Solstice S8 is a fully-automated 8-chamber electroplating tool that delivers up to 75 wph of capacity. Specifically designed for ≤200mm substrates, either transparent or opaque, Solstice can perform a range of electroplating and related processes (High Pressure Metal Lift-Off, Resist Strip, UBM Etch, and more) using various metals and alloys. The product family also includes the Solstice LT for process development and the 4-chamber Solstice S4 for mid-range production. Notably, Solstice pricing is less than half that of similarly configured 300mm plating systems outfitted for 200mm from the large manufacturers. Because of its unique affordability the Solstice family has become known for providing "Advanced Plating for the Rest of Us."