Uyemura Opens Dedicated UBM and Prototype Plating Line at Southington Tech Center

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Uyemura has commissioned a dedicated plating tool at its Southington, CT Tech Center that addresses 3 urgent needs:

• Under-bump metallization (UBM) which is critical to every wire bonding and soldering application
• New process development, particularly those involving challenging and non-standard substrates
• Prototypes and early pilot production

“Large semiconductor companies have their own systems,” explains Al Gruenwald, Uyemura’s Tech Service Engineer, “although we've processed specialized work from their development arms. This tool was primarily established to serve the smaller and mid-volume semis – also universities, government grant researchers, and start-ups – who need high quality initial testing performed for their wafers and devices.”

The Uyemura development tool accommodates wafers up to 12″ wide (300 mm). “UBM chemistries in particular, vary widely, depending on the substrate and metallization being plated,” says Gruenwald. “Most metallization is aluminum or copper, with silver a distant third. Wafer substrates that can be plated include silicon, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, germanium, indium phosphide, glass, and other high temperature organics.”

Chemical analysis is performed at the Tech Center lab and encompasses every process component: cleaner, etchant, activator or catalyst, in addition to nickel, palladium and gold.

Several finishes are used, including ENIG (Electroless Nickel and Immersion Gold); ENEPIG (Electroless Nickel + Electroless Palladium + Immersion Gold); nickel-free finishes including IGEPIG (Immersion Gold + Electroless Palladium + Immersion Gold); EPIG/EPAG, RAIG Immersion Gold and DIG (Direct Immersion Gold over Copper).

Companies from across the continent have sent substrates, wafers and individual dies for prototype and early pilot production, according to Gruenwald. “We're looking forward to making full use of this unique and valuable asset – and to giving the industry an important new development resource.”