SPTS Installs First Vapor HF Release Etch System in China for Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT)
Poster: SySAdmin
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 8:07:01 PM
SPTS Installs First Vapor HF Release Etch System in China for Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT)
NEWPORT, Wales, March 21, 2012/PRNewswire/ --
Dry Etch Technology Deployed for MEMS Accelerometer Fabrication
SEMICON China 2012 - SPTS Technologies, a supplier of advanced wafer processing
solutions for the global semiconductor industry and related markets, today announced that
it has commissioned its first vapor hydrogen fluoride (VHF) etch system in China. The
Primaxx(R) Monarch 3 has been installed at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and
Information Technology (SIMIT) for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) dry release etch
applications. SIMIT is a multidisciplinary institute within the Chinese Academy of
Sciences (CAS) that engages in both fundamental and applied research. The Primaxx Monarch
3 system is housed at SIMIT's facility in Shanghai, China.
HF vapor is a dry etchant for removing sacrificial silicon oxide in MEMS structures,
providing benefits over conventional wet etching. With a patented, reduced pressure
process that is capable of penetrating and releasing very small features, SPTS' HF vapor
etch technology delivers higher device yields as it prevents both stiction and attack on
any exposed aluminum surface. In conventional wet-etching, stiction occurs when the
released microstructure and substrate are pulled together by the surface tension
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension ] of the liquid between them during drying
of the etchant, and the two surfaces adhere [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhesion ]
together, damaging the device structure.
Professor Yang Heng from SIMIT, stated, "One of the main reasons for selecting SPTS'
HF release system for our MEMS accelerometer project was its ability to release very small
features without stiction; a characteristic which is not matched by conventional wet HF
etch. SPTS demonstrated process expertise with stable and repeatable results within a wide
process window. We also wanted to work with a vendor who could offer timely local customer
support through an experienced team."
Paul Hammond, senior director and general manager of SPTS' Primaxx Products Division,
said, "We are proud to achieve the key milestone of shipping the first Primaxx Monarch 3
system into the rapidly growing Chinese market. Our vapor HF dry etch technology is used
extensively in a wide range of MEMS applications, from R&D through to high volume
production. Our customers appreciate the yield and productivity advantages that come from
our dry technology."
The Primaxx Monarch 3 system uses a 3-wafer process module to increase throughput
without compromising process repeatability, providing high uptime and low cost of system
ownership.
About the SPTS Primaxx(R)Release Etch Technology
SPTS is the world leader in reduced pressure, residue-free MEMS dry etch release, a
critical buried oxide etch step which "releases" the moving components of challenging MEMS
device designs. Combining anhydrous HF gas and alcohol vapor at reduced pressure provides
a wide, stable process window that can address different oxide compositions and
thicknesses while maintaining high selectivity to other common materials found in MEMS
designs including aluminum. The "dry" Primaxx(R) process also eliminates stiction, a
yield-killing phenomenon which can bind the moving components of MEMS devices when
released with conventional wet processing technology.
About SPTS Technologies
SPTS Technologies (a Bridgepoint portfolio company) designs, manufactures, sells, and
supports etch, PVD, CVD and thermal wafer processing solutions for the MEMS, advanced
packaging, LEDs, high speed RF on GaAs, and power management device markets. With
manufacturing facilities in Newport, Wales, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and San Jose,
California, the company operates across 19 countries in Europe, North America and
Asia-Pacific. For more information about SPTS Technologies, please visit
http://www.spts.com
Source: SPTS Technologies Ltd
Company Contact: Evelyn Tay, Tel: +44-7885-70-6565, Evelyn.Tay@spts.com
NEWPORT, Wales, March 21, 2012/PRNewswire/ --
Dry Etch Technology Deployed for MEMS Accelerometer Fabrication
SEMICON China 2012 - SPTS Technologies, a supplier of advanced wafer processing
solutions for the global semiconductor industry and related markets, today announced that
it has commissioned its first vapor hydrogen fluoride (VHF) etch system in China. The
Primaxx(R) Monarch 3 has been installed at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and
Information Technology (SIMIT) for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) dry release etch
applications. SIMIT is a multidisciplinary institute within the Chinese Academy of
Sciences (CAS) that engages in both fundamental and applied research. The Primaxx Monarch
3 system is housed at SIMIT's facility in Shanghai, China.
HF vapor is a dry etchant for removing sacrificial silicon oxide in MEMS structures,
providing benefits over conventional wet etching. With a patented, reduced pressure
process that is capable of penetrating and releasing very small features, SPTS' HF vapor
etch technology delivers higher device yields as it prevents both stiction and attack on
any exposed aluminum surface. In conventional wet-etching, stiction occurs when the
released microstructure and substrate are pulled together by the surface tension
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_tension ] of the liquid between them during drying
of the etchant, and the two surfaces adhere [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhesion ]
together, damaging the device structure.
Professor Yang Heng from SIMIT, stated, "One of the main reasons for selecting SPTS'
HF release system for our MEMS accelerometer project was its ability to release very small
features without stiction; a characteristic which is not matched by conventional wet HF
etch. SPTS demonstrated process expertise with stable and repeatable results within a wide
process window. We also wanted to work with a vendor who could offer timely local customer
support through an experienced team."
Paul Hammond, senior director and general manager of SPTS' Primaxx Products Division,
said, "We are proud to achieve the key milestone of shipping the first Primaxx Monarch 3
system into the rapidly growing Chinese market. Our vapor HF dry etch technology is used
extensively in a wide range of MEMS applications, from R&D through to high volume
production. Our customers appreciate the yield and productivity advantages that come from
our dry technology."
The Primaxx Monarch 3 system uses a 3-wafer process module to increase throughput
without compromising process repeatability, providing high uptime and low cost of system
ownership.
About the SPTS Primaxx(R)Release Etch Technology
SPTS is the world leader in reduced pressure, residue-free MEMS dry etch release, a
critical buried oxide etch step which "releases" the moving components of challenging MEMS
device designs. Combining anhydrous HF gas and alcohol vapor at reduced pressure provides
a wide, stable process window that can address different oxide compositions and
thicknesses while maintaining high selectivity to other common materials found in MEMS
designs including aluminum. The "dry" Primaxx(R) process also eliminates stiction, a
yield-killing phenomenon which can bind the moving components of MEMS devices when
released with conventional wet processing technology.
About SPTS Technologies
SPTS Technologies (a Bridgepoint portfolio company) designs, manufactures, sells, and
supports etch, PVD, CVD and thermal wafer processing solutions for the MEMS, advanced
packaging, LEDs, high speed RF on GaAs, and power management device markets. With
manufacturing facilities in Newport, Wales, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and San Jose,
California, the company operates across 19 countries in Europe, North America and
Asia-Pacific. For more information about SPTS Technologies, please visit
http://www.spts.com
Source: SPTS Technologies Ltd
Company Contact: Evelyn Tay, Tel: +44-7885-70-6565, Evelyn.Tay@spts.com