Anthony Gallegos, Global Product Manager, Semiconductor Technology, Technic

With the increasing demand for materials in silicon photonics—a market projected to grow from $2.7 billion in 2024 to $15.8 billion by 2032—Technic is revisiting its legacy AuSn process. Elevate AuSn 8020, developed over 15 years ago, deposits an 80/20 Au/Sn alloy (or variations) from a one-step plating bath. While effective, the legacy process is highly sensitive to current density, making optimization time-consuming (3-4 months) and limiting its ability to meet today's demand.

To address this, Technic launched an R&D project this year to improve the process. Last month, an interim version of the electrolyte was released, utilizing the same chemistries in a modified ratio to produce smoother deposits and better alloy control.

Simultaneously, Technic is developing an entirely new AuSn process to overcome current limitations. With over 100 formulations tested, two promising candidates have emerged. While results are close to the target, further refinement is ongoing to finalize the process.

Technic expects to commercialize the new AuSn bath by Q2 2025. This next-generation process will enable easy alloy control and consistent results across various high-volume manufacturing tools, ensuring Technic can meet the surging demand in the rapidly growing silicon photonics industry.