New partnership paves the way for cost effective production of wafer-level CSP'sMUNICH, Germany, May. 9, 00- SUSS MicroTec and Image Technology Inc. have entered into a strategic partnership to further develop and standardize 9-inch masks for high volume wafer bumping and wafer-level chip scale packaging production. As part of the agreement, SUSS MicroTec and Image Technology will define quality standards for 9-inch precision photomasks and qualify 9-inch soda lime masks in high volume production. This will allow the companies to identify opportunities for photolithography related cost reductions without sacrificing performance. Full field exposure of 8-inch wafers requires 9-inch x 9-inch masks with semiconductor-level accuracy, which are a key, although expensive, enabling technology in the packaging process. "With today's wafer-level CSP technology, the advanced packaging industry is quickly moving into high-volume production of 200 mm wafers" explained Dr. Dietrich Tönnies, product manager mask aligners for Suss. "The cooperation between both companies will lead to further standardization of full field exposure of 9-inch masks for 8-inch wafers and secure the availability of these masks to the packaging industry." The joint development work will also seek to establish specifications and define parameters such as critical dimension uniformity and tolerances, layer-to-layer registration, data placement accuracy, defect criteria and material flatness requirements. "The emergence of sophisticated handheld RF devices which combine broadband data communication, telecommunication and power computing through wireless access to the internet have fueled demand for leading-edge packaging technology," said James A Quinn, vice president of Image Technology. "Our companies' combined experience in photomask technology and lithography equipment will allow us to develop high-performance, but less expensive, solutions for the advanced packaging industry." About Image Technology |