Product News
01/01/2000
Robotic sorting platform
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The MVT 7080 Wafer Sorter is a high-performance robotic sorting platform that combines intelligent motion with laser mapping, advanced illumination and OCR, optional bright light macroinspection, a Windows NT operating system, and a modular design. Available in two-, three-, or four-cassette configurations, the system allows the operator to perform front or backside wafer ID and barcode reading quickly and safely, as well as permitting sorting, splitting, merging, and randomizing operations on 75-200mm wafer lots at rates up to 400 wafers/hour. The 7080's software lets operators create and store wafer flows and comprehensive recipes, or work in manual mode. The system's GUI — displayed on either a flat screen LCD or large-format super VGA monitor — enables operators to view program setup information, track each wafer's status in real time, and view live or archived wafer ID scribes or barcodes at the high-speed aligner module in scalable windows. Communications packages are available for SECS/GEM, FTP, and TCP/IP protocols. Electro Scientific Industries Inc., Portland, OR; ph 503/641-4141, fax 503/643-4873, www.esi.com.
Large-area wire bonder
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Model 8098 is a large-area ball bonder that combines high productivity (up to 8 wires/sec) with 70µm in-line pad pitch mass production capability. Its 400 x 330mm (16 x 13 in.) bondable area enables the 8098 to process large single or multi-up panels and carriers used for hybrids, chip-on-board, chip-on-flex, and multi-chip modules, and perform wafer scale bonding up to 300mm. The same machine also provides the flexibility to support wafer-level ball bumping (up to 16 bumps/sec) for flip chip and other area array applications. The new bonder offers a variety of material-handling options, from manual to fully automatic magazine-to-magazine, as well as custom configurations. Automated wafer handling is available as an option. SMEMA in-line compatibility makes the 8098 highly suitable for current or future fab automation and integration strategies. A lightweight bondhead is mounted on a rigid overhead structure for maximum accuracy and stability, and programmable camera focus allows pattern recognition over a wide range of die heights within a package. Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., Willow Grove, PA; ph 215/784-6000, fax 215/659-7588, www.kns.com.
Reduced particle clean process
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Reduced Particle Clean (RPC), for 300mm wafers, is a proprietary scrub process that loosens and removes contaminants and particles one wafer at a time, resulting in ultralow particle counts on large substrates. The RPC method uses a single wafer cleaning scrub, as opposed to the spin-rinse-dry method, which is carried out in batches using a rinser/dryer. RPC will result in double-digit particle counts on 300mm wafers and single-digit counts on smaller substrates. Wafers received for recovery are stripped, cleaned, and sorted for LPDs. Particle count determines whether a wafer may be recycled or will require mechanical polishing — wafers with <=100 LPDs are accepted for recycling and undergo the RPC process. Unlike the reclaiming process, ultralow particle cleaning allows quick cycle time with no loss of wafer thickness. The recycle process can be repeated many times before a wafer must be sent for reclaim due to haze, scratches, or similar damage. Noel Technologies Inc., Campbell, CA; ph 408/374-9549, fax 408/374-4127, e-mail [email protected], www.noeltech.com.
Activated implant monitoring
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The BX-10 Advanced Implant Monitor is a metrology system for measuring the ultrashallow junctions that are critical to the performance of <=0.18µm devices. It makes possible the development and process control of ultralow-energy implant and rapid thermal anneal processes that are used to form the transistors which determine electrical performance in the most advanced devices. The laser-based tool allows noncontact, nondestructive junction depth measurements that were previously possible only by slow or destructive methods. The rapid process feedback eliminates the time lag associated with traditional analytical lab or end-of-line electrical test methods. Proprietary Carrier Illumination technology determines the junction depth by inducing the formation of excess carriers in the implanted region, then measuring the change in surface reflectance. This method permits characterization of junction depth uniformity on a µm-scale or wafer-scale region. The BX-10 measurement can be made automatically at user-selectable sites to map process variation across the wafer within minutes. The system also has 300mm extendibility. Boxer Cross Inc., Menlo Park, CA; ph 650/470-0330, fax 650/470-0335, e-mail [email protected], www.boxercross.com.
Packaging/Assembly/Test
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CSP handler
The DSH 4000 CSP handler picks from wafer level CSP film frame, inspects for top ball placement and bottom mark inspection, and places into tape and reel or waffle pack. It is based on a high-speed linear motor design for a UPH of 3600. Chipscale Robotics Inc., Fremont, CA; ph 510/490-4104, fax 510/490-5068, e-mail [email protected], www.chipscalerobotics.com.
Gases/Gas Handling
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Switch gauges
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Designed to monitor gases used in semiconductor manufacture, Types HSXG and HSGG 2-in. switch gauges provide clean, reliable pressure indication and setpoint monitoring in a small, easy-to-set instrument. A new system design with extremely low dead volume gives the gauges very high levels of cleanliness. A hermetically sealed reed switch opens or closes a low-voltage circuit to control relays, alarms, or input to microprocessor. A convenient "on-dial" setpoint can be adjusted anywhere between 5% and 92% of range. Other features include center back or lower connection mounting and electropolished 10Ra corrosion-resistant surface finishes. Accuracy is 1% FS, switch point repeatability is 0.25% FS, and switch point deadband is ±3% FS. Maximum switching voltage is 30V ac/dc, maximum switching current is 0.2 amps ac/dc, and the switch power rating is 4W dc. Dresser Instrument, Stratford, CT; ph 203/378-8281 or 800/328-8258, www.dresser.com/instruments.
Process Equipment
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Wafer bump reflow oven
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This continuous conduction wafer bump reflow oven, the HotBelt, has the advantages of hot plate reflow systems without the drawbacks. Conduction heating offers efficiency and simplifies thermal profiling. Wafers are guaranteed to be at the correct process temperature, as the set point zone temperature and the wafer process temperature are the same. Problems with current systems include: hot plates are slow to heat up and cool down (several hours); wafers need to be pushed from stage to stage, causing misalignment with downstream wafer-handling systems; residue accumulates on the hot plates, causing wafers to become contaminated; and hot plate systems do not provide for the necessary controlled atmosphere, containing <5 ppm oxygen molecules. The new system solves these problems. It features three separate conveyor belts to transport wafers through the reflow oven, eliminating the need for the wafers to be pushed from station to station, and the flux management system eliminates the need to stop production to clean accumulated flux residue. Radiant Technology Corp., Fullerton, CA; ph 714/991-0200, fax 714/991-0600, [email protected].
Touch screen
The Model P3 Touch Screen is designed for automated and semi-automated wet benches. Custom screens and operator prompts can be designed for each unique system. Alarm tracing, data sharing, historical trending, process recipes, and reports can be used to refine and track the process. Victor Assoc. Inc., Ivyland, PA; ph 215/443-5664, fax 215/443-5666.
Compact UV cure oven
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The SCS Model 5106 is a conveyorized UV cure system, for laboratory and short-run production use, which is suitable for curing conformal coatings, adhesives, solder masks, etch resists, inks, and other UV cure materials. It is a compact table-top unit supported by a mounting stand, and it requires only about 2 x 3 ft of floorspace. It features a 6-in.-wide, variable-speed conveyor, a tubular, full-spectrum mercury lamp, and a focused, air-cooled reflector module. The 5106 provides 860 W/ft2 (945 mW/cm2) of full spectrum UV radiation across the full conveyor width, and conveyor speed is variable from 5-50 ft/min. Specialty Coating Systems, Indianapolis, IN; ph 800/356-8260 or 317/244-1200, fax 317/240-2073, www.scscookson.com.
High-density plasma sources
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Delta Glow high-density plasma sources are designed to generate dense gas plasma for thin-film deposition, etching, and material surface modification applications. These applications include vacuum chamber conditioning and cleaning, PECVD, polymer material surface treatments, and in situ enhancements of the thin-film deposition process. Delta Glow also enhances the activation and removal of water vapor from chamber walls and substrate surfaces. The new plasma sources reduce oxygen contamination that conventional diagnostic techniques fail to detect and remove. When the high-energy source is used to clean a vacuum system, the bombardment of system surfaces with electrons and ions stimulates desorption of water bonded to system surfaces, resulting in a cleaner system with less film contamination during subsequent processing. Manitou Systems Inc., Danbury, CT; ph 203/792-8797, fax 203/792-7097, e-mail [email protected], www.manitousys.com.
Vacuum Equipment
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Vacuum pump inlet trap
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This high-capacity, 3-stage vacuum pump inlet trap features new straight-through flanges, along with conventional right-angle design. The MV Multi-Trap has a large knock-down stage and two separate stages with five user-selectable filter elements in each, protecting vacuum systems from corrosive and abrasive particles. Featuring an all-stainless steel housing with straight-through or right-angle flanges, and a variety of adapters, the trap can be custom-configured to integrate into almost any wafer-processing system. Able to limit particles entering the vacuum pump to <1µm, it can be easily plumbed into an existing system and customized with a wide selection of filter elements to match the application. Several models are available; they are suitable for such processes as TEOS, NITRIDE, LTO, HTO, and PLASMA. MV Products Div./Mass-Vac Inc., N. Billerica, MA; ph 978/667-2393, fax 978/671-0014, e-mail [email protected], www.massvac.com.