March 21, 2012 — Fraunhofer IZM and Fraunhofer CNT technology centers of Dresden, Germany, will use CMP supplier Axus Technology exclusively to provide advanced 300mm wafer process development and foundry services to North American customers.
Axus Technology is partnering with the Fraunhofer centers for process and metrology services for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), wafer thinning, and related process technologies, increasing the breadth of offerings in the future. Axus Technology will support local North American customers, define the foundry or development work needed, and work with Fraunhofer engineering teams to complete it.
Fraunhofer’s European facilities focus on state-of-the-art wafer processing and deep engineering expertise. Process services range from small-batch 300mm wafer fab to production volumes, as well as design and development services.
Fraunhofer CNT develops advanced 300mm process flows for front- and back-end-of-line (FEOL/BEOL) applications. Fraunhofer’s IZM-ASSID (All Silicon System Integration Dresden) facility houses a 300mm process line that supports 3D wafer level package (WLP) integration and advanced packaging development. Both Fraunhofer facilities use Applied Materials Reflexion LK 300mm CMP tools and boast extensive metrology capabilities from defectivity analysis and film thickness measurements to microscopy, spectroscopy, X-ray analysis, and more.
Axus Technology’s US-based development and foundry facility handles 200mm wafers through die-sized samples. Partnering with 2 Fraunhofer institutions enables Axus Technology to expand to the larger wafer size without investing in additional manufacturing equipment. It also brings Fraunhofer’s expertise in chip scaling and 3D integration technologies to North America.
Axus Technology provides CMP and wafer thinning equipment and process services for semiconductor, micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), substrate, and related technologies. For more information, visit www.AxusTech.com.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a leading applied research organization in Europe, with more than 20,000 staff performing contract research for industry, the service sector, and government.
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) concentrates on microelectronics and microsystem packaging development. Internet: www.izm.fraunhofer.de/assid.
Fraunhofer Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) focuses on 300mm production in front- and back-end-of-line (FEOL/BEOL) environments, innovative materials for SoCs/SiPs, and nanopatterning through electron-beam lithography. Internet: www.cnt.fraunhofer.de.