AML Wafer Bonder
AML Wafer Bonder
AML specializes in advanced wafer bonding machines and services, targeting MEMS, IC, and III-V applications. Their technology encompasses various bonding techniques such as anodic, direct, glass frit, eutectic, thermo-compression, and adhesive bonding. The in-situ aligner wafer bonders enhance flexibility and throughput by enabling in-situ chamber alignment and bonding.
- In-situ alignment system with X, Y, Z, and θ manipulation, achieving up to 1 micron accuracy.
- Automatic PC control, high voltage application up to 2.5KV, and temperatures up to 560°C.
- Forces ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 N, with a self-contained dry pumping system for vacuum up to 10-6 mBar.
- Capability to handle wafers from 2” to 8” and perform RAD wafer activation for low-temperature bonding.
- Unique in-situ chemistry capabilities, allowing processes like metal oxide removal before bonding.
AML's platform integrates alignment and bonding in a single machine, unlike EV/SUSS, which requires separate machines. This integration allows for simultaneous alignment, heating, and fast pumping, ensuring no wafer movement between alignment and bonding, thus guaranteeing alignment accuracy.
- Used in MEMS devices, vacuum encapsulation, wafer-scale packaging, and 3D interconnects.
- Supports advanced bonded substrates and layer transfer techniques.
- Economic benefits include low cost per bond, small footprint, and high reliability with minimal servicing.
- Embossing capability is included, allowing for aligned hot embossing of polymers to form micro and nano structures.
- Vacuum Encapsulation: A US company successfully used AML's in-situ process to maintain differential temperatures for getter activation and bonding.
- Surface Oxide Removal: A European company achieved efficient eutectic bonding with in-situ forming gas treatment.
- Epoxy Bonding Observation: A Chinese company developed a 200mm epoxy bonding process with in-situ optics for process optimization.
- Stress Control in Anodic Bonding: Improved device thermal stability was achieved through current-limited anodic bonding, reducing stress variations.
Wafer bonding is a critical process in the manufacturing of MEMS, ICs, and III-V applications, with increasing demand. The process involves strategic steps from the front end to the back end, ensuring device-to-device reproducibility and temperature uniformity.
Current limited anodic bonding offers improved control over temperature uniformity compared to voltage limited bonding. This method results in better performance consistency across devices, as demonstrated in gyroscope manufacturing.
AML provides a flexible platform for aligned wafer bonding, suitable for both research and production. Their BONDCENTRE process support is essential for those new to wafer bonding and wafer-level packaging (WLP).
- Development of wafer bonding processes for various materials including silicon, glass, sapphire, and more.
- Process selection and design tailored to specific applications.
- Commercial wafer bonding services from prototype to production.
- Technology transfer, equipment provision, and training.
- Pre and post-bonding processes and applications knowledge.
- Wafer aligner bonders and metrology tools such as AFM and acoustic microscopes.
- Wafer cleaning and activation technologies, including new dry activation methods.
- Electroplating and screen printing capabilities.
- Access to additional services through collaboration with CMF at Rutherford, including photolithography, etching, and metrology.
Catalog excerpts
AML- Technical Benefits 4 Sept 2012 Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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AML In-situ Aligner Wafer Bonders Wafer bonding capabilities:• • • • • • • • • These various techniques have different tolerances to particles, wafer flatness, surface topography…. Anodic Bonding Si-Glass Direct Bonding e.g. Si-Si Glass Frit Bonding Eutectic Bonding Thermo-compression Adhesive Bonding Aligned Embossing In-situ UV cure Temporary Bonding RAD activation for low T bonding In situ chamber alignment & bonding = more process flexibility & higher throughput Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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AML in-situ Bonding Platform In-situ ‘Radical’ Activation External Optics +/-1 post bond AUTO alignment IR & Visible also NIR No alignment shift between alignment & bonding Water cooled platens Platens have adjustable parallelism Unique Wafer edge clamping system – no contact on bond surface In-situ chemistry Spring pin for Direct bonding Large gap between wafers during pump down / heating 2.5kV (current limited) for Anodic Bonding Vacuum or Controlled Process Gas pressure up to 2 bar absolute Fast pump down Vacuum- Independently heated Upper and Lower Platens (Max 560 0C) align hot or cold...
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AWB Platform Outline Spec:• Unique In-situ alignment system (X,Y,Z & θ) Up to 1 micron accuracy manual & Auto alignment Full automatic PC control & data acquisition, Application of High Voltage up to 2.5KV Self contained dry pumping system (Turbo & back pump) for vacuum up to 10-6 mBar. Forced nitrogen cooling. 2” to 8” wafers (Depending on model chosen) RAD Wafer activation for low T bonding Water cooling In-situ Chemistry! Remote interrogation –via Teamviewer http://www.teamviewer.com Optics: Visible, IR & NIR (for highly doped wafers & hot alignment) Trend in MEMS to use highly doped wafers...
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nhfL WAFER BONDING MACHINES & BONDCENTRE SERVICES WITH UNIQUE IN-SITU ALIGNMENT Manual Load Fully automatic Robot Wafer Load Fully automatic
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Wafer bonding has found many applications in field of MST, MEMS, III-V, ICs & Optical devices: • MEMS devices - Pressure Sensors, Accelerometers, Microfluidics Vacuum encapsulation (absolute pressure, IR detectors…) 1st Level Packaging to isolate package induced stresses. Wafer scale Packaging – MEMS & IC III-Vs e.g. high performance LEDs bonded reflector - heat sink Temporary bonds for handle wafers (interlayer & direct) Advanced bonded substrates e.g. Si on Glass (SOG), GaAs on Si… Layer transfer - Smart cut Front End Bonded Substrates Starting material Wafer Bonding Machines & Services FAB...
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Difference between AML & EV/SUSS • AML – align & bond in 1 machine, 1 process chamber • EV/SUSS need 2 machines; align wafers in an aligner then transfer wafers via a jig to a bonder Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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Align & contact wafers cold or hot at bond OR Intermediate temperature (reduces expansion misalignment due to TCE difference e.g. Si-Sapphire Allows out gassing at T and then align without waiting to cool down Wafer Bonding Machines & Services Wafers can ONLY be aligned and contacted COLD Spacers ~100 microns thick
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Able to hold two wafers at different Temperatures, can keeping 1 wafer at high T & keeping other e.g. CMOS wafer at <400C Getter activation Impossible to keep wafers at different T Outgassing other wafer before getter wafer is activated – increasing its life Spacers ~100 microns thick Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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Confirm alignment accuracy before committing to bond Observe bonding process in real time to help speed up process development Impossible optics & bonding in different machines! BLIND! Spacers ~100 microns thick Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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No wafer movement between alignment & bonding – guaranteed alignment accuracy No Jig! Esp when “soft flowing” interlayer is present e.g. adhesive or glass frit Remove spacers – wafers sometimes move - & you will not know! Spacers ~100 microns thick Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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No flags touching bond surfaces so no damage or flag removal issues – Edge grip Wafer Bonding Machines & Services Flags touching wafer surface Spacers ~100 microns thick
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Simultaneous Alignment, Heating & fast Pumping Heating & Pumping only Pumping rate low due to trapped volumes Spacers ~100 microns thick Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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Best system for vacuum encapsulation – outgas with separated wafers - Frit Reliable & known process gas conditions at the wafer surface i.e. Pressure (P) reading representative of P between wafers Unknown conditions at wafer surface. Pressure between wafers could be decades higher than measured in chamber Spacers ~100 microns thick Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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Spacing allows in-situ processing or Chemistry Impossible wafers in contact Spacers ~100 microns thick Spacing up to 30mm Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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Unique In-situ Chemistry CAB • Only machine to perform in-situ Chemistry, Align, Activate & Bond in 1 chamber without any handling between steps. Simple as CAB • e.g. Metal Oxide removal on the wafers surfaces just before alignment & contact – with forming gas or Formic acid - due to wide wafer separation in bond chamber • See paper Tyndall/UCL/AML ‘Waferbond’ conference, Chemnitz, Germany 6-8 Dec 2011 Many other possibilities; e.g. Plasma etch Oxide before wafer contact Wafer Bonding Machines & Services Vacuum or Controlled Process Gas pressure up to 2 bar III-Vs
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Summary of AML Uniqueness & Benefits • Only machine that can align, activate & bond in 1 chamber without wafer handling • Only machine with high accuracy alignment adhesive bonding - with in-situ UV cure in vacuum Vacuum or Controlled Process Gas pressure up to 2 bar absolute • Ultimate Process Flexibility– Including Nano-Imprint – polymer embossing • Unique In-situ Chemistry Wafer Bonding Machines & Services
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