As part of an asset deal, as of 1 January, Jenoptik of Jena, Germany has transferred expertise, patents and results relating to thermal laser separation (TLS-Dicing) technology developed by its Laser & Materials Processing Division to 3D-Micromac AG of Chemnitz, Germany (which has supplied laser micromachining systems as well coating and printing technologies since 2002), enabling immediate commercialization.
3D-Micromac says that the acquisition reinforces its know-how as a provider of laser systems in the semiconductor industry and advances the expansion of its product portfolio in this area. Jenoptik’s Laser & Materials Processing Division will continue to focus on the 3D processing of plastics and metals (e.g. in the automobile industry).
“With TLS-Dicing we obtain a technology that will perfectly complement our product portfolio in the semiconductor industry and enable us to expand our market position,” believes 3D-Micromac’s CEO Tino Petsch. “In addition to component processing at wafer level, we can now also offer innovative solutions for separating of microchips,” he adds. “In the coming months, we will continue to further develop the process in co-operation with the Fraunhofer IISB [Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology) in Erlangen, Germany] and implement it in industry-ready machine technology,” he continues.
“Jenoptik’s Laser & Materials Processing Division has increasingly focused on its core markets and sharpened its portfolio in recent months,” notes Dietmar Wagner, general manager of JENOPTIK Automatisierungstechnik GmbH. “With 3D-Micromac AG we have found a buyer for TLS-Dicing, which wants to successfully commercialize the technology in the shortest possible time.”
TLS-Dicing (thermal laser beam separation) is used in the semiconductor industry’s back-end to separate semiconductor wafer in components. A laser heats up the material locally and a cooling medium cools it down immediately afterwards. The thermally induced mechanical stress leads to a complete cleaving of the wafer.
The method is suitable for most brittle materials, including silicon, silicon carbide (SiC), germanium (Ge) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers. Compared with traditional separation technologies, TLS-Dicing yields clean, micro-crack-free edges and hence greater bending strength, it is claimed. Process speeds of 200-300mm/s are possible and generally lead to a multiplication of throughput. High throughput and wear-free processing offer great potential for reducing production costs and cost of ownership, says 3D-Micromac.
