Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) today announced the launch of a suite of new tools for 3DI packaging, including its TSV deep silicon etch system, the Tactras™ FAVIAS, the TELINDY PLUS™ VDP, a type of polyimide*1 film formation production equipment that uses vapor deposition polymerization technology, and wafer bonder/debonder equipment, the Synapse™ Series.

3D packaging, in which multiple semiconductors are vertically stacked, has developed rapidly for mass production over the past few years. This manufacturing technique helps to increase the functionality of progressively advanced smartphones, tablet PCs, and other devices, while simultaneously reducing their size.

TEL will strengthen activities in the TSV domain by commencing sales of its TSV deep silicon etch system Tactras FAVIAS and launching a new polyimide deposition system employing vapor deposition polymerization, TELINDY PLUS VDP, along with the new Synapse Series of wafer bonder/debonder equipment (three models).

The Tactras FAVIAS deep silicon etch system improves mask selectivity, which has been a problem with steady etching, by raising plasma density and successfully increasing the etch rate from 10µm/min to 15µm/min and reducing fabrication costs by roughly 30%.

TELINDY PLUS VDP resolves one of the major hurdles in TSV formation with its ability to form high-quality dielectric films with good step coverage*2 at low temperatures. It achieves this by employing the vapor deposition polymerization technology that TEL has developed through many years of research. As a result, it is possible to create 100% sidewall step coverage of polyimide dielectric films in TSV’s with aspect ratios*3 greater than 10, and at temperatures lower than 200ºC.

3D packaging of semiconductors also requires that the wafers themselves be made extremely thin in order to reduce the distance of TSV, but this leads to the problem of curvature of the thin wafers due to film stress. Polyimide films created using TEL’s vapor deposition polymerization technology reduce film stress to about one-tenth of previous levels, eliminating this problem.

TEL has developed wafer bonder/debonder equipment, the Synapse Series, designed specifically for 3D packaging. Many of TEL’s advanced technologies have been incorporated into the Synapse Series, including the coating and baking of materials and high-speed wafer transfer. The Synapse Series models are being commended for their design and production capabilities, which have been optimized for large-scale mass production lines.

All of the TEL 3DI tools are currently being evaluated by several major semiconductor manufacturers and preparations for the introduction of it in high-volume production lines are underway.

Wafer Bonder/Debonder Equipment, Synapse Series
-Synapse V : Uses special-purpose materials to bond wafers to each other.
-Synapse Z : Debonds temporarily bonded wafers.
-Synapse S : Permanently bonds wafers to each other without the use of special materials.


*1 A general term for polymers including imide compounds. Used as an insulating material in electronic circuits.
*2 When depositing films in high aspect ratio features, it is desirable that the film be conformal along the entire feature
*3 Ratio of depth to width in the pattern on the wafer.