Steve DeCollibus, Managing Editor, Semiconductor Packaging News

ECPR™ (ElectroChemical Pattern Replication) is a technology most of us haven’t heard of, yet it may well prove to be the enabling technology of choice for fabrication of micro- and nano-scale metal layers, and a process that when launched will give manufacturers of advanced packaging, substrates, optical components and semiconductor devices a low cost high performance alternative to photolithography based processes.

The company responsible for the development and eventual commercialization of this process is called Replisaurus Technologies Inc. and. is lead by Jim Quinn. Jim who before joining Replisaurus was group vice president of SUSS MicroTec, where he held a variety of roles, he joined the SUSS Group in 2001, when SUSS acquired his precision photo mask company Image Technology, Inc., where he was president and CEO. Jim was also a Co-founder of SECAP. We caught up with him recently to talk about his company and the technology.

James Quinn, CEO Replisaurus Technologies Inc.

Jim explained that the ECPR™ technology has been the impetus that has taken the company from feasibility demonstrations with four people and a white paper in 2006 to a dynamic and fast growing organization of eighty people in less then two years. Because the proof of concept and the technology itself is so promising, the company has been able to build up infrastructure and manage early technical risks with the support of their investors.

Another strong indication of viability has been their support in the purchase of S.E.T.SAS in France (Formerly the Suss MicroTec device bonder business) who will serve as the production arm of the company, while Replisaurus AB in Sweden acts as the research and development center for the technology.

The Technology

The ECPR™ process has advanced in its development to an early prototype line and is scaling up for full production in 2010.

What the process will accomplish and those attributes that make it so compelling are that it leads to the elimination of the eight step photo metallization process, replacing it with a three step direct metallization process called ElectroChemical Pattern Replication. (See illustration below)

In turn this process will lead to one hour of production time (depending on metal thickness) reduced to 5 minutes, an 8 step metallization process reduced to a 3 Step metallization process, 1 tool versus a 6 tool line, and the elimination of solvents or developers making the process eco and fab friendly when compared to current methodologies. Lastly the ECPR™ process removes cost and complexity, making the process easy to move to off shore by reducing the learning cycle and simplifying the technology transfer.

ECPR - ElectroChemical Pattern Replication

Because of the excitement surrounding this new process, Jim told us thatthe company wasattracting employees and engineers from around the world, from Asia, and Silicon Valley to Stockholm. This is a technology and a company to watch over the next 18 months as they prepare to launch this process in 2010. For us at SPN, it was a pleasure to meet with and learn about a company that is moving electronics manufacturing technology ahead in an intelligent and practical way.