[MEMS-Business] Radical moves by AML!

[Rob Santilli]

Radical moves by AML!

 

After waiting patiently AML's customers can finally Activate, Align and
Bond in-situ, in one chamber, but not only that, they will have the new
AML 'Radical' activation technology which provides benefits over the
existing crude plasma activation used by competitors. The new 'RAD'
system was pre-ordered by QinetiQ plc in the UK who will be the first
company in the world to have the new 'RAD' system. Other customers have
been waiting for it to be available before purchasing a wafer-bonding
machine.

 

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...who
knows they might even start making mask aligners!

 

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 making 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. Technical Director Tony Rogers and Nick Aitken of AML
are presenting a paper describing this at the prestigious
Electrochemical Society conference in Cancun, Mexico at the end of
October.  

 

 

Rob Santilli says "this is just a reflection of what AML stands for i.e.
we come from a process background rather than just being an engineering
or 'metal bashing' operation that look to their customers to develop
their machines. We put a huge effort into R&D and I think this pays off
in the machines we produce and the processes we can offer.

 

 

He went on to say, "If anyone now buys a competitor's machine, then they
are doing their organisations a disservice and their purchasing
departments could be seen as being negligent, the AML machines are that
far ahead." Combine this with AML's new BONDCENTRE which offers bonding
process development, and a commercial bonding service, technology
transfer and training and you have an unbeatable, world class
capability.

 

 

 

Rob also added "We used to compete on price because our simple, elegant
design and ability to provide two machines (aligner & bonder) for the
price of one enabled us to do this. However we now focus on just
providing the very best machine on the market in terms of performance
(including industry best throughput & best vacuum encapsulation) and
value for money (lowest cost per bond) - so we may no longer be the
cheapest, which was especially difficult when the opposition were having
to practically give their machines away to compete with us! If you
haven't got an AML bonder you're not serious about bonding. "

 

 

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. Tony Rogers of AML
is seen below accepting the keys. 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.

 

 

Applied Microengineering Ltd (AML)

Unit 8, Library Avenue, Harwell International Business Centre, Didcot,
Oxfordshire, OX11 0SG, UK

Direct line: 0044 1235 434 340 

Fax: 0044 1235 833 935

e-mail info at aml.co.uk