ST. FLORIAN, Austria and INDIANAPOLIS, IN /PRNewswire/ -- EV Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment, and Dynaloy LLC, an international manufacturer of chemicals for the electronics industry and wholly owned subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Co., introduced CoatsClean, an innovative single-wafer photoresist and residue removal technology designed to address thick films and difficult-to-remove material layers for the 3D-ICs/through-silicon vias (TSVs), advanced packaging, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and compound semiconductor markets. CoatsClean provides a complete wafer cleaning solution that offers significant efficiency, performance, and cost-of-ownership (CoO) advantages compared with traditional resist stripping and post-etch residue removal methods.
"Increasing wafer processing challenges associated with the adoption of new materials, device architectures, and packaging schemes require a new, holistic view of wafer cleaning, where the chemistry, process, and equipment are all critically important and must be addressed in combination," stated Steven Dwyer, Business Director at Dynaloy. "We're pleased to be working with EV Group on developing and commercializing CoatsClean technology to meet the needs of our customers for a more cost-effective, flexible approach to thick-film resist removal."
CoatsClean incorporates a number of key features to boost performance and productivity, as well as reduce CoO compared with wet bench and other traditional wafer cleaning approaches. The CoatsClean process and chemical formulation are engineered to perform at higher temperatures, resulting in faster stripping rates and cycle times. This enables CoatsClean to operate as a single-wafer process for thick resist films and difficult-to-remove resists, resulting in improved performance, consistency, reproducibility, and repeatability. The engineered formulation also enables selective stripping of the resist.
CoatsClean is also unique in its ability to dispense a small amount of material on the top of the wafer, and then activate the material with direct heat. This direct use of the material and heat dramatically reduces the strip material used. CoatsClean uses fresh solution for each processed wafer compared with competing techniques that use an immersion bath, resulting in greater process efficiency and eliminating cross contamination. The highly selective application of resist strip material eliminates damage to the wafer backside. The entire CoatsClean process is performed in a single bowl, which reduces tool footprint.
"CoatsClean applies the right chemistry at the right process conditions to provide optimal cleaning results," stated Paul Lindner, EV Group's Executive Technology Director. "By combining our respective strengths, EV Group and Dynaloy can now offer our customers a complete wafer-cleaning solution that significantly reduces their CoO and achieves superior performance."
The CoatsClean tool series, which includes EV Group's EVG301RS and EVG320RS XT platforms, leverage EV Group's core competencies in controlled dispense, heating and temperature control, fluid rinse, and wafer handling technologies. The EVG301RS system targets research and development, as well as low-volume production on substrates up to 300 mm in diameter, while the EVG320RS XT features up to eight process modules to address high-volume production requirements on substrates up to 300 mm in diameter. The systems are highly modular in design to allow for a wide range of configurations and combinations of chemicals.
EV Group will be responsible for selling the CoatsClean systems and providing customer support, while Dynaloy will be responsible for selling the CoatsClean resist stripping materials. CoatsClean systems have already been installed for customer demonstrations, and EVG and Dynaloy are now accepting orders for the systems and resist stripping materials.
About Dynaloy
Founded in 1965, Dynaloy LLC has grown from a small regional provider of electronic cleaning chemistries to what is now an international manufacturer of chemicals for the electronics industry—with superior material science, analytics, and technical capabilities. A wholly owned subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Co., Dynaloy combines the responsiveness of a small company with the market knowledge, material science expertise, and vast resources of a world leader in chemical manufacturing. As part of a global organization, Dynaloy is committed to finding innovative approaches that lead to practical solutions. Equipped with a state-of-the-art product development lab and clean room, the manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, IN, is designed to enhance the kind of creative thought that facilitates beneficial product design, heightens reliability, and fosters unparalleled customer service.
About EV Group (EVG)
EV Group (EVG) is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for the manufacture of semiconductors, microelectromechanical systems, compound semiconductors and power devices, and nanotechnology devices. Key products include wafer bonding, thin-wafer processing, lithography/nanoimprint lithography and metrology equipment, and photoresist coaters, cleaners, and inspection systems. Founded in 1980, EV Group services and supports an elaborate network of global customers and partners all over the world.