The partnership between CEA-Leti and S.E.T. bears fruit: the FC300, a new high force device bonder with nanoimprint capabilities

Saint-Jeoire, France, November 13th, 2007 – S.E.T., (former SUSS MicroTec Device Bonder Division), a world leading supplier of High Accuracy Die-to-Die, Die-to-Wafer Bonding and Nanoimprint Lithography Solutions announced today that the partnership between S.E.T. and CEA Leti has resulted in a radically new generation high accuracy (0.5 µm), high force (4,000 N) Device Bonder for wafer diameters up to 300 mm. It includes a built-in Chamber for collective reflow in a gas or vacuum environment. The system also features Nanoimprinting capabilities.

CEA Leti is a laboratory of the Minatec® Innovation Center in Grenoble, France operated by the Technology Research Directorate of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).

The new Device Bonder, called FC300 High Force Device Bonder, is the first step in a joint development program between CEA Leti and S.E.T. A previous joint development effort, as early as 1981, brought about the first ever commercially available flip chip bonder. Close collaboration with our customers is one of the many reasons why S.E.T.’ Device Bonding solutions have such a high degree of flexibility and precision.

François Marion, Senior Expert Packaging and Hybridization, is in charge of the machine and process development in LETI-MINATEC:
“The FC300 will be a key component in our backend process developments, opening the door to:

• waferscale fluxless bump interconnection (thanks to our patented process chamber),
• vacuum hybridization and sealing,
• metal and polymer thermo-imprinting for bump molding, microlens processing,
• polymer UV imprinting for multiple applications,

Topics among others that will be developped through a new and exciting three year joint development program, reinforces our long collaboration with S.E.T.”

The FC300 is able to perform various applications on the same platform with a quick process head reconfiguration.
Available at first with automatic handling of chips, templates and small size substrates, the FC300 will be further developed to include a fully automated handling of wafers up to 300 mm.
The flexible design of the FC300 features different configurations: 

• High Force, especially interesting for Cu-Cu bonding applicable to 3D-ICs packaging or Nanoimprint using Hot Embossing Lithography process
• Low Force bonding; for reflow bonding of RF & optoelectronics devices assembly;
• UV-Curing for adhesive Bonding or for Nanoimprint using the UV-NIL process.

The newly designed machine will be primarily used for the development of new products and technologies; therefore the process flexibility that the new FC300 offers is of the utmost importance.

About S.E.T.
S.E.T., Smart Equipment Technology is a world leading supplier of High Accuracy Die-to-Die, Die-to-Wafer Bonding Nano Imprint Lithography solutions. Supplier of semiconductor equipment dedicated to high-end applications for over 30 years and with more than 250 Device Bonders installed worldwide, S.E.T. is globally renowned for the unsurpassed accuracy and the flexibility of its flip chip bonders.
Ranging from manual loading version to fully automated operation, our systems cover almost all bonding applications and offer the unique ability to handle and bond both fragile and small components onto substrate up to 200 mm or wafer up to 300 mm. For more information, please visit www.set-sas.fr.

Contact S.E.T.
Jean-Stéphane Mottet
S.E.T. Smart Eqiupment Technology
Tel. : +33 (0) 4 50 35 83 92

About CEA – Leti
Located in Grenoble, CEA Leti (Electronics and Information Technology Laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission), is a leading edge of European research in microelectronics, microtechnology and nanotechnology: it employs nearly 1000 people and deposits around 200 patents per year. With 28 start-ups created or in the course of creation, it is one of the most important partners of the industrial world. Instigator of the MINATEC® pole of innovation, CEA Leti is also one of its principal partners, beside the INP Grenoble (Grenoble Institute of Technology) and the local authorities.
The CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission), a public organization for technological research, carries out its missions in the domains of energy, information and health technologies and defense, building on the fundations of fundamental research at the highest level. Strenghtened by the competence of its 15 000 researchers and collaborators, it is recognized internationally and constitues a strong source of proposals for public authorities, institutions and industries in France and in Europe.
More information: http://www-leti.cea.fr/ and www.cea.fr
MINATEC® is a registered trademark of the CEA

Contact CEA-Leti
Véronique Charreyron
Press Relations
Tel. +33 (0)4 38 78 91 96