EV GROUP’S GEMINI WAFER BONDER
ST. FLORIAN, AUSTRIA, September 29, 2009 – EV Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today announced that the RFID/USN Center has selected EVG’s fully automated GEMINI® wafer bonding system for stacked 3D MEMS device development. Located in Incheon, Korea, RFID/USN is a leading MEMS foundry that offers manufacturing services for companies to initiate production processes with capabilities to segue from R&D to high volume. This order represents a significant win for EVG, marking its first foray into the prestigious institute’s manufacturing line-up. ® aligner, which yields precision alignment accuracy, as well as wafer handling expertise into one wafer bonding platform. The GEMINI maintains an installed base of more than 100, contributing to EVG’s 75-percent market share dominance in wafer bonding.
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 leading market share 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, Ariz.; Albany, N.Y.; 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.
"As a foundry service provider, we strive to offer our customers with cutting-edge technologies to support their 3D MEMS production needs, and as such, require a flexible system that can adapt to a wide range of requirements," said RFID/USN Center’s executive director, Dong-suk Han. "Given the stringent demands of the leading-edge MEMS market, particularly for 3D devices, we evaluated a number of bonding solutions on the market for MEMS production, and in the end, chose EVG’s GEMINI not only for its superior reliability and high-volume capabilities, but also for its flexibility and extendibility. The GEMINI enables us to quickly adjust the chuck to handle both 6- and 8-inch wafers, offering the highest available uptime in the market to ensure around-the-clock operation—a significant factor in our decision."
Commenting on today’s announcement, Paul Lindner, EVG’s executive technology director noted, "This opportunity to cooperate with a leading Korean MEMS foundry, such as the RFID/USN Center, is an important step for EVG as we continue to expand our footprint in the growing Korean market. Following the opening of our Korean subsidiary in the summer of 2008, we have witnessed positive momentum in the market, and are fully committed to serving the needs of the region in the future. Lindner added, "We have long served the MEMS market, and this order win is further testament to the strength of our solutions to address the production demands of advanced technologies, such as 3D MEMS devices."
EVG’s GEMINI platform is a field-proven, production manufacturing solution for high-volume wafer bonding applications for MEMS, 3D IC integration and advanced packaging, as well as compound semiconductor applications. Its modular design offers customers a highly flexible and extendible platform that enables customers the opportunity to incorporate pre-processing options such as cleaning and plasma activation modules, as well as additional bond chambers to augment throughput. Additionally, this fully automated wafer bonding system integrates EVG’s SmartView
