US-based TEL NEXX, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Electron US Holdings, has announced that it entered into a pact with IBM for a new multi-year joint development program in 3D semiconductor packaging.
According to TEL Nexx, as 3D structures become a production reality, denser packaging and energy conscious requirements demand that semiconductor chip designs and equipment deliver and accommodate more functionality.
TEL NEXX will contribute its production tools to the venture, which include the Apollo for physical vapor deposition (PVD), the Stratus for electrochemical deposition (ECD), among others, in order to study both complex substrates and tool design.
TEL NEXX president Tom Walsh said the challenges offered through its collaboration with IBM keeps the company on its toes as far as innovation is concerned.
"The opportunity to work with IBM represents a chance to produce the world's latest, greatest and most production focused technologies. Enhanced Apollo PVD technology promises an economically efficient solution for barrier seed deposition. Stratus ECD will be deployed in developing plating interconnects, among other 3D structures. We're aiming to meet levels of productivity and reliability that solve problems only now being formulated in IBM's advanced labs," added Walsh.
