San Jose, California–Ultratech Stepper, Inc., a supplier of photolithography systems used to manufacture semiconductors, micromachined devices and thin film heads (TFH) for disk drives, today announced the introduction of the Prisma-ghi, a low-cost research and development (R&D) and pre-production flip-chip (bump) stepper. Based on the successful 1500 platform, the Prisma-ghi integrates Ultratech’s unique, broadband g, h, and i-line exposure capabilities in a low-cost platform to enable affordable R&D for bump and wafer-level packaging processing technology.

Commenting on the order, Ultratech’s Director of Packaging Technologies, Stephen Kay, said, “The bump and wafer level packaging markets are expanding at a rapid pace, which is being fueled by a strong R&D drive within the industry. The Prisma-ghi demonstrates Ultratech’s commitment to providing systems to support all facets of bump and wafer-level packaging lithography. The Prisma-ghi allows lower-volume manufacturers to realize all the advantages steppers provide, while keeping the total operating costs low. Our diverse product lines offer manufacturers a wide range of solutions to match their technology needs, as well as addressing their cost concerns.”

The Prisma-ghi adds broadband exposure capabilities to Ultratech’s production proven 1000-series product line, according to the company, and is designed to deliver exceptional performance for bump and wafer-level packaging R&D facilities. The Prisma-ghi combines a 4.0 micron resolution capability, broadband optics and capability to manually switch between a wide range of wafer sizes and thicknesses, giving it the flexibility required for bump R&D while incorporating all of the advantages of stepper technology.

The tool is expected to ship to customers during the first half of 2001.