Debuting its most recent technology advance, mass imaging leader DEK will showcase the company’s new thin wafer processing expertise from booth #811 at the upcoming Semicon West event in San Francisco, California. A full line solution that incorporates a Galaxy Thin Wafer System and a next-generation CHAD WaferMate™ wafer handler, this latest development resolves traditional challenges associated with high-speed handling and processing of thinned wafers on a proven print platform.

With the ability to process as many as 60 wafers per hour, the DEK – CHAD technology pairing offers semiconductor specialists a high-volume, high-accuracy thin wafer platform that enables extremely precise printing processes for wafers as thin as 75µm. CHAD’s WaferMate system incorporates advanced engineering principles, delivering thinned and warped wafer handling capability, movement of wafers or paper from a coinstack configuration and the ability to limit wafer contact during transfer to the print pallet so as to avoid any damage to delicate, thinned wafers. Once placed on the DEK thin wafer pallet, which can accommodate wafers as large as 300mm and is flat to less than 10µm, the Galaxy transport system precisely and quickly transfers the wafer-loaded pallet into position. Advanced vision capabilities align the wafer and the specified imaging process commences.

Enabled by the superior process capability of the Galaxy Thin Wafer System, today’s most sophisticated packaging techniques including ball placement, DirEKt Coat™ wafer backside coating, protective coating imaging, thermal interface materials deposition, wafer bumping and encapsulation processes can all be accomplished with exceptional accuracy and precision at high UPH. For DirEKt Coat applications, which will be demonstrated at Semicon West, the new Galaxy Thin Wafer System delivers a process capability of Cp>2 @ +/- 12.5µm with a Total Thickness Variation (TTV) of less than 7µm on 200mm, 150µm thin wafers for coatings as thin as 25µm. This unique technology is exponentially faster – by a factor of 10 – than traditional dispensing processes and affords chip footprint maximization by eliminating the chip fillet. During the live demonstrations, wafer transfer and loading of delicate 120µm wafers will be carried out by CHAD’s WaferMate handling system.

Commenting on the highly effective DEK-CHAD combination, David Foggie, DEK Semicon and Alternative Applications Manager, explains the technology advantage of the union. “When joined with DEK’s platform approach, which offers packaging firms the ability to incorporate a proven imaging platform to host a variety of processes, the CHAD WaferMate solution affords the custom handling requirements that are often part of the wafer processing equation,” states Foggie. “CHAD’s expertise in secure wafer movement, identification and optical recognition is unmatched and a perfect complement to DEK’s core competency in high UPH materials imaging. This partnership dates back many years and has effectively enabled multiple successful processes at leading global semiconductor firms.”

The thin wafer line solution from DEK and CHAD will be on display in booth #811, South Hall at Semicon West, taking place from July 14 through July 16 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Delegates are invited to visit DEK and CHAD to find out how the companies’ thin wafer processing expertise can deliver high speed precision to emerging 3D packaging, wafer coating and ball placement processes.