Aug. 18, 2005 – Tessera Technologies Inc., a provider of miniaturization technologies, has transferred its MicroBGA chip-scale packaging (CSP) technology to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and to North Dakota State University (NDSU). This licensing and transfer of technology is a part of the development of an advanced technology center on both campuses.
Alaska
The world-class cleanroom facility is part of UAF’s Office of Electronic Miniaturization (OEM) and is located in UAF’s Natural Sciences Facility (NSF), a modern 123,000 sq. ft. complex of science laboratories and classrooms that serve the UAF community and interior Alaska.
OEM’s microelectronics center enables UAF to provide packaging and assembly services for a variety of semiconductor devices, including EEPROM, DRAM and Flash memory chips. These semiconductor devices are widely used in defense, medical, wireless, consumer and computing electronics to meet next-generation miniaturization, performance and reliability requirements. With the CSP line and a Tessera license in place, UAF is now capable of serving as a resource for regional enterprise development and government projects that require reliable, industry-proven semiconductor packaging capabilities.
“Our work with the University of Alaska Fairbanks illustrates how collaborations between the country’s engineering universities and leading technology suppliers can offer new capabilities to academic faculty, students, business and government agencies,” said Nicholas Colella, senior VP of the Product Miniaturization Division at Tessera. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with UAF to help catalyze high technology growth in Alaska.”
“UAF’s newly installed CSP assembly line together with the Tessera license has created an exciting opportunity for the university and the regional economy,” said John Dickinson, CFO, OEM, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
North Dakota
Tessera has also has partnered with NDSU in the development of a fully functional microelectronics center at the university. As part of a multiyear government program sponsored by the Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA), Tessera has licensed its MicroBGA CSP technology to NDSU and has provided the university with the technical knowledge and training necessary to package and assemble semiconductor chips, such as EEPROM, DRAM and Flash memory.
Today’s announcement marks the culmination of a joint effort by Tessera and NDSU to create a regional microelectronics center supporting the manufacturing needs of government agencies while facilitating the growth of technology companies.
“We are very excited about our partnership with NDSU in developing a world-class microelectronics packaging R&D center,” said Nicholas Colella, senior vice president of the Product Miniaturization Division at Tessera. “NDSU gains a new resource for winning advanced development funding, while advancing its educational and research facilities. Tessera gains access to an academic community that will be applying new materials to chip-scale packaging. We hope to use this successful technology transfer as a model for future government and academic programs.”
“The technology NDSU licensed, coupled with the packaging and assembly knowledge we’ve gained from Tessera, brings exciting new entrepreneurial and educational opportunities to NDSU faculty, students and business partners,” said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer at North Dakota State University. “Having a commercially viable semiconductor packaging and assembly capability on campus is a strong indicator of NDSU’s commitment to the pursuit of engineering excellence.”
The work completed by NSDU and Tessera was sponsored by the DMEA, an arm of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). NDSU is currently in the process of fabricating chip-scale packaged devices to be used in the DoD-DMEA’s Chameleon program, which aims to develop wireless, low-observable surveillance sensors combined with a high-sensitivity base station receiver to provide a method of collecting more accurate intelligence information for enhanced security and safety, effective military engagement and rapid dissemination of intelligence data to decision makers.