The EVG520IS semi-automated wafer bonding system and EVG620TB mask and bond aligner will be employed for MEMS-related as well as photonics and optoelectronics research.

EV Group (EVG) has received an order for its EVG520IS semi-automated wafer bonding system and EVG620TB mask and bond aligner from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).

The tools will be employed at Nano Fab - UTA's Nanotechnology Research and Teaching Facility, which is funded by the National Science Foundation's Major Research Instrumentation Program. They will be used for a wide range of MEMS-related as well as photonics and optoelectronics research.

The order is EVG's latest centered on the MEMS market, following its March shipment of two wafer bonders to the University of Michigan's Lurie Nanofabrication Facility for advanced MEMS research.

MEMS are currently undergoing explosive growth, according to market analyst firm Yole Developpement, outpacing nearly every other segment of the electronics industry due to their implementation in sensors and accelerometers for mobile handsets, set-top boxes, gaming consoles and other high-volume consumer applications.

A long-established premier provider of wafer bonding, alignment and handling equipment to MEMS-focused customers in industry as well as academia - 27 of the world's top 30 MEMS manufacturers use its equipment - EVG has leveraged its success in this arena to migrate into key emerging technologies, including 3D ICs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Since EVG first entered the 3D IC market in 1999, it has quickly grown its market share, securing numerous competitive orders. In the last year alone, multiple customers in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe purchased EVG systems for both R&D and production applications.

The company has also taken a leading role in driving 3D market evolution, co-founding the EMC3D Consortium in 2006 to commercialize a cost-effective, manufacturable through-silicon via (TSV) interconnection process for 3D chip stacking. The consortium has continued to gain momentum, adding new members and is aggressively targeting to drive cost of ownership of TSVs below US$150.

Most recently, at the IEEE International Interconnect Technology Conference, SEMATECH and EV Group presented initial results following the installation of a fully-automated GEMINI wafer bonder announced at SEMICON West 2009. A fully automated 300-mm EVG GEMINI production wafer bonding system was installed at SEMATECH's 3D Research and Development Center at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering on the University at Albany (N.Y.) campus. The system integrates four types of wafer bonding - thermo compression, fusion, temporary and chip-to-wafer - in one tool, enabling ultimate R&D flexibility.

With the launch of its EVG560HBL fully automated wafer bonding system, EVG's newest key target market is high-brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs). According to a forecast by market researcher Strategies Unlimited, the HB-LED market is expected to grow more than 50% this year, reaching $8.2 billion in revenues. The new EVG system delivers the higher capacity needed to accommodate the technology's rapid growth, while capitalizing on EVG's 30 years of wafer bonding experience to meet device makers' demand for manufacturing techniques that mirror those used in the semiconductor industry.

As EVG approaches its 30th anniversary, the company continues to expand its global presence while targeting important customers whose work ranges from high-volume production all the way down to small-volume/R&D environments. To ensure its ability to meet these wide-ranging customers' needs, the company recently rolled out its EVG610 mask and bond aligner, a lower-cost system with greater process versatility that will enable universities and research institutions to attain cost and system flexibility without sacrificing quality of results.

EVG will be addressing key developments in each of its core markets in its presentations at SEMICON West 2010 held during July 13-15 in San Francisco, California. The presentations include:

HB-LED - SEMICON Extreme Electronics Stage, Moscone Center, South Hall

Thomas Uhrmann, Business Development Manager, will be presenting "Wafer-level Packaging for Cost Reduction of High-brightness LEDs" on Wednesday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m. during the Extreme Electronics' Solid-state Lighting session on "More Lumens per Dollar: The Road to More Efficient HB-LED Manufacturing-Progress and Next Challenges in Back-end Manufacturing"

               

Wafer Bonding and Advanced Interconnects: IMAPS and SEMI Topical Workshop on Advanced Interconnect Technologies - San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel

Bioh Kim, Business Development Manager, EV Group, will be presenting on "Advances in Wafer Bonding Techniques Enabling Vertical Integration" on Wednesday, July 14 at 10:30 a.m.

SEMATECH 3D Metrology Workshop - San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel

Markus Wimplinger, Corporate Technology Development & IP Director, will be presenting on "Infrared Overlay Metrology of Bonded Wafers and Stacked Layers for 3D Integration" on Wednesday, July 14 at 3:40 p.m.

Plasma Activation for Wafer Bonding - SEMICON TechSITE North, Moscone Center, North Hall

Eric Pabo, Business Development Manager, will be presenting on "Plasma Activation - An Enabling Technology for Wafer Bonding" on Thursday, July 15 at 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

In addition, EVG will be exhibiting at SEMICON West at booth #1225 (South Hall), where the company will hold a happy hour event in celebration of its 30th anniversary on Tuesday, July 13, from 3:30-5:00 p.m.