MEMS Microphone Chip
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The AKU2000 surface-mountable complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone integrates an acoustic transducer, output amplifier, and 4th-order sigma-delta modulator in a single chip. Microphone output switches from pulse-density-modulated (PDM) and single-bit digital output stream insensitive to radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic interference (EMI); saving time and costs in system design. A digital filter reduces PDM output in downstream electronics for design flexibility. AKU2000 supports an input clock frequency of 1 to 4 MHz, and operates from 2.8 to 3.6 V, consuming <750 mA. It suits microphone array applications where multiple microphones will be used to perform noise cancellation and/or beam forming. Akustica Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, www.akustica.com.
Side-stackable Sockets
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The side-stackable PinBall socket range includes pitch packages from 0.50 to 0.80 mm for applications using BGAs, LGAs, chip scale packages (CSPs), and other devices on 0.50 mm or larger pitch. Clearances range from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, depending upon pitch. Proprietary spring probe technology generates contact force of 12 to 15 g per contact. Two chip guides on the interposer help align the device with the spring probes, providing a positive lid compression stop to control spring probe deflection. Users may choose an aluminum cover or a standard or customized aluminum heatsink. Two hold-down styles are available – two-bolt for 15-mm or smaller packages, or four-bolt for 16- to 50-mm packages. Spring probe pins are beryllium-copper alloy with 0.8-µm minimum gold over 0.8-µm minimum nickel, and the hardware is stainless steel. Aries Electronics, Frenchtown, NJ, www.arieselec.com.
Wafer Bonder
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The Elan wafer bonder incorporates high-accuracy post-bond alignment and computer-controlled wafer processing on a metal frame platform with a high-vacuum chamber, control electronics, and a computer. It is capable of processing 150-mm-diameter wafers by anodic, glass frit, eutectic, thermocompression, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), and polymer bonding methods. Each bonding process can transfer to proprietary automated, high-volume wafer-bonding cluster tools, allowing transition from R&D to pilot line production, and through to mass production. It also accommodates wafer stack thicknesses up to 6 mm with options for triple-stack bonding. SUSS MicroTec AG, Munich, Germany, www.suss.com.
Wafer Inspection
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The E25 wafer-edge inspection system provides edge inspection for chemical metal planarization (CMP), etch, clean, deposition, pre-rapid thermal processing (RTP), and final quality assurance (QA) processes, and tackles challenges such as curved surfaces, changing bevel profiles, process variations, and defects. An algorithm creates a defect-free surface model of the edge to detect and classify defects. It integrates with the AXi or NSX inspection systems, providing edge and front-side inspection from front- to back-end. Image-based inspection uses multiple color cameras, concurrent color image capture, and intrinsic automatic defect classification (ADC) to detect and classify defects based on size, morphology, color, location, and other characteristics. Rudolph Technologies Inc., Flanders, NJ, www.rudolphtech.com.
MEMS Tester
The TEMEON MEMS tester enables MEMS device stimulation, isolating and validating electrical and mechanical functionality at the wafer level prior to packaging, which increases fault coverage and minimizes package waste. A low-force contact methodology at wafer level eliminates adverse effects to wafer yield due to strain applied to MEMS structures that may alter performance. Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), Tokyo, Japan, www.tel.com.
EDA Software
Allegro Design Workbench XL and Allegro Design Publisher XL electronic design automation (EDA) software address design challenges through integrated, constraint-driven automation and distributed, team-based design productivity. Allegro Design Workbench XL provides component information and library management for Allegro design libraries, automates library revision control, and offers a process for distributing known-good libraries, reportedly shortening design cycles and reducing component research by up to 50%. Allegro Design Publisher XL enables designs produced with Allegro Design Entry HDL to be published in portable document format (PDF) files so that internal and external design teams can review a design without requiring design entry tools. Cadence Design Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, www.cadence.com.
Wafer Dicing
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The LDS 300 laser dicing system (LDS) cuts wafers up to 300 mm and dices chips down to 0.25 mm2 using proprietary Laser Microjet water-jet-guided laser technology. Laser Microjet is a hybrid cutting process that uses a hair-thin water jet to guide a laser beam onto the wafer. The water jet cools the material surface for protection against thermal damage, while creating a natural layer of protection to prevent deposition or contamination. The process reaches speeds of up to 300 mm/sec for thin silicon wafers, provides parallel and narrow cuts from 75 to 25 µm, and has no wafer thickness limitations. It also performs drilling, scribing, grooving, edge-grinding, or marking processes on wafers, as well as wafer cassette loading, cleaning, and quality control. Synova S.A., Ecublens, Switzerland, www.synova.ch.
Tape Applicator
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This tape applicator module for the Swissline 9022 die bonder series adapts to varying production needs, allowing a tape applicator module and an epoxy dispenser on one machine to eliminate time-consuming exchange of modules upon product changeover. The tape applicator meets stringent process requirements for stacked-die package assembly, while providing productivity and flexibility in the high-volume manufacturing environment. Using adhesive tape as die attach adhesive allows die stacking with co-planarity, and eliminates the need to fine-tune epoxy bleed-out at the edge of the dice. Several die attach technologies are based on adhesive tapes, such as wafer backside lamination (WBL), pre-printed substrates, and processes where an adhesive tape is individually placed onto a previously bonded bottom die. Alphasem AG, Berg/TG, Switzerland, www.alphasem.com.