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SPTS is one of the world leaders in the field of etch and deposition process solutions for the global semiconductor and microelectronics industry. The equipment and solutions offered by SPTS Technologies, an Orbotech company, has been successfully used by leading semiconductor companies, fabs and research centers around the world for over 30 years. About a year ago we published an article about the developments of SPTS (NANOINDUSTRY No. 2 (72), 2017). This interview with Franck Torres-Miguel, Regional Account Manager (on the left in the photo), continues that story.
Mr. Torres-Miguel, what successes did the company achieve in 2017?
Our business continues to grow successfully in all regions of the world, including Eastern Europe and Russia. We have presented a number of new developments, in particular, for deep silicon etching, and we continue to develop our solutions in the field of deposition and etch technologies, including CVD, PECVD, PVD, MVD, ICP, DRIE and other processes.
Currently, a large number of developers and suppliers offer equipment for thin film deposition and etching. What distinguishes SPTS’s solutions, and what allows the company to occupy a leading position in this segment?
Indeed, many companies offer equipment for CVD, PVD, ICP, but most of these developments are exclusively for research, pilot and small-scale production. Sometimes such equipment makes it possible to implement special modes that are of interest to researchers, but are not suitable for production. The principal distinguishing feature of our equipment is the compliance with the whole set of industrial requirements. It is, first of all, about reliability, technical capabilities and flexibility in terms of implementation, ease of adoption and ease of use of machines. For example deposition of films are commonly done by physical vapor deposition (PVD), but not all PVD equipment or systems are equal and the results of their implementation even within the same application can be completely different. In order to be able to be used in industrial production, uniformity of films over the entire area of the wafer, the ability to work with wafers of different materials and wafer sizes are just a few of the qualities that should be considered. We are able to optimize the technology and process for each customers’ application, which is why our customers choose our solutions. Our solutions are successfully used not only by scientific and research centers around the world, but also by industrial companies of different sizes, including the so-called mega fabs.
It should be noted that we specialize in equipment for low-temperature processes, which are in demand in such areas as advanced packaging, MEMS, RF and microwave electronics, power devices, etc. At the same time, each of our technological solutions are continually undergoing further development to provide advanced features, improve production performance and also to address new applications. For example, by using our CVD systems, it is possible to obtain thick SiO2 films, which, despite a thickness of about 20 μm, will be characterized by an exceptional stability of properties. Such solutions are necessary for the production of power electronics devices, and there are very few companies who can deliver such quality films as our Delta CVD systems. In the field of deep reactive-ion etching, we were the first to obtain a license for the Bosch process, which enabled us to master the technology of forming vertical holes with a wall height of up to hundreds of micrometers, as well as deep holes and valleys with tapered walls. Currently, more than 1 200 of our DRIE systems are in operation worldwide, that is, about 10 times more than those of the nearest competitors. Also, reliable and flexible solutions have been developed for new areas associated with compound semiconductors, for example, gallium nitride. A completely new process is molecular vapor deposition (MVD), which is used, for example, in the production of MEMS and in advanced packaging. And even in such a well-known technology as PVD we can offer solutions that are unique in their performance and reliability.
Tell us about your solutions for Advanced Packaging
In recent years, the areas of application of technologies and equipment for deposition and etching have increased significantly – by orders of magnitude. Customers producing higher end devices have adopted 3D IC and High Density (HD) Fan-out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) to improve device performance, reduce power consumption and shrink device size. 3D IC packaging requires high-precision formation of through-silicon vias (TSVs), and our Omega Plasma Etch solutions are capable of producing excellent high aspect ratio vias. For HD FOWLP, our Sigma PVD solutions is used by all the top FOWLP companies because it provides the best performing and lowest cost of ownership solution for under bump metallization and redistributions layers.
What are the achievements of SPTS in the field of solutions for plasma dicing?
We are one of the pioneers in this field and the only ones who have developed a machine for processing 300 mm wafers. The Mosaic plasma dicing platform is based on our Rapier DRIE units, which, as already mentioned, are the most popular solution for the Bosch process on the market. Quite a lot has been written about the advantages of plasma etch technology in comparison with mechanical and laser dicing, and these include more efficient use of the wafer area, high productivity, and the possibility of separation chips of different shapes to name a few.
What are the plans for business development in Russia?
Ikar-Impulse, our partners responsible for work in the Russian market, annually hold a three-day seminar for Russian customers at the end of September. This event is attended by our leading experts representing the current developments of SPTS for different market segments. I am sure that the 2018 seminar will not be an exception, and participation in it will be very useful for technical specialists, senior managers and owners of enterprises of the Russian semiconductor industry.
Interview: Dmitry Gudilin
Our business continues to grow successfully in all regions of the world, including Eastern Europe and Russia. We have presented a number of new developments, in particular, for deep silicon etching, and we continue to develop our solutions in the field of deposition and etch technologies, including CVD, PECVD, PVD, MVD, ICP, DRIE and other processes.
Currently, a large number of developers and suppliers offer equipment for thin film deposition and etching. What distinguishes SPTS’s solutions, and what allows the company to occupy a leading position in this segment?
Indeed, many companies offer equipment for CVD, PVD, ICP, but most of these developments are exclusively for research, pilot and small-scale production. Sometimes such equipment makes it possible to implement special modes that are of interest to researchers, but are not suitable for production. The principal distinguishing feature of our equipment is the compliance with the whole set of industrial requirements. It is, first of all, about reliability, technical capabilities and flexibility in terms of implementation, ease of adoption and ease of use of machines. For example deposition of films are commonly done by physical vapor deposition (PVD), but not all PVD equipment or systems are equal and the results of their implementation even within the same application can be completely different. In order to be able to be used in industrial production, uniformity of films over the entire area of the wafer, the ability to work with wafers of different materials and wafer sizes are just a few of the qualities that should be considered. We are able to optimize the technology and process for each customers’ application, which is why our customers choose our solutions. Our solutions are successfully used not only by scientific and research centers around the world, but also by industrial companies of different sizes, including the so-called mega fabs.
It should be noted that we specialize in equipment for low-temperature processes, which are in demand in such areas as advanced packaging, MEMS, RF and microwave electronics, power devices, etc. At the same time, each of our technological solutions are continually undergoing further development to provide advanced features, improve production performance and also to address new applications. For example, by using our CVD systems, it is possible to obtain thick SiO2 films, which, despite a thickness of about 20 μm, will be characterized by an exceptional stability of properties. Such solutions are necessary for the production of power electronics devices, and there are very few companies who can deliver such quality films as our Delta CVD systems. In the field of deep reactive-ion etching, we were the first to obtain a license for the Bosch process, which enabled us to master the technology of forming vertical holes with a wall height of up to hundreds of micrometers, as well as deep holes and valleys with tapered walls. Currently, more than 1 200 of our DRIE systems are in operation worldwide, that is, about 10 times more than those of the nearest competitors. Also, reliable and flexible solutions have been developed for new areas associated with compound semiconductors, for example, gallium nitride. A completely new process is molecular vapor deposition (MVD), which is used, for example, in the production of MEMS and in advanced packaging. And even in such a well-known technology as PVD we can offer solutions that are unique in their performance and reliability.
Tell us about your solutions for Advanced Packaging
In recent years, the areas of application of technologies and equipment for deposition and etching have increased significantly – by orders of magnitude. Customers producing higher end devices have adopted 3D IC and High Density (HD) Fan-out Wafer Level Packaging (FOWLP) to improve device performance, reduce power consumption and shrink device size. 3D IC packaging requires high-precision formation of through-silicon vias (TSVs), and our Omega Plasma Etch solutions are capable of producing excellent high aspect ratio vias. For HD FOWLP, our Sigma PVD solutions is used by all the top FOWLP companies because it provides the best performing and lowest cost of ownership solution for under bump metallization and redistributions layers.
What are the achievements of SPTS in the field of solutions for plasma dicing?
We are one of the pioneers in this field and the only ones who have developed a machine for processing 300 mm wafers. The Mosaic plasma dicing platform is based on our Rapier DRIE units, which, as already mentioned, are the most popular solution for the Bosch process on the market. Quite a lot has been written about the advantages of plasma etch technology in comparison with mechanical and laser dicing, and these include more efficient use of the wafer area, high productivity, and the possibility of separation chips of different shapes to name a few.
What are the plans for business development in Russia?
Ikar-Impulse, our partners responsible for work in the Russian market, annually hold a three-day seminar for Russian customers at the end of September. This event is attended by our leading experts representing the current developments of SPTS for different market segments. I am sure that the 2018 seminar will not be an exception, and participation in it will be very useful for technical specialists, senior managers and owners of enterprises of the Russian semiconductor industry.
Interview: Dmitry Gudilin
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