Integrated Devices via State of The Art Alignment and Advanced Bonding Techniques

Dr. Shari Farrens
Chief Scientist
EV Group
ABSTRACT
Wafer level packaging and 3D integration are buzzwords for today’s funding proposals. However, it is precisely these technologies that will lead to next generation MEMS and IC breakthroughs. In addition to cost saving and miniaturization, the stacking of devices and the creation of hybrid technology sensors will lead to highly functional and useful consumer products. Increased performance is achieved by combining logic and MEMS. Wafer bonding methods are now available to “trick” Mother Nature into allowing compound semiconductor and silicon integration. New wafer bonding equipment will allow for vacuum level packaging with increased hermeticity lifetimes. All of these methods are at various stages of R&D and many have already been incorporated into volume manufacturing. This presentation will discuss current alignment methods used to achieve micron and sub-micron alignment on a wafer-to-wafer scale. This is the first step to realizing a 3D or interconnected system. Final discussions will show how various bonding methods are used to complete the structural assembly and final packaging. Bonding methods will cover SOI, polymer, and metal-based techniques

BIO:
Dr. Shari Farrens has 20 years experience in the semiconductor industry. Equipped with a B.S. degree in Physics from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Dr. Farrens acquired a M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering studying hydrogen embrittlement in solids using high energy ion implantation from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Building on her experimental background, Dr. Farrens acquired an additional M.S. degree in Materials Science writing computer simulations to analyze brittle fracture phenomena. Her final degree, a Ph.D. in Materials Science, investigated diffusion barriers for the seemingly crazy concept of copper metalization in the mid 1980’s. Dr. Farrens spent nine years as a research and teaching faculty at UC-Davis in the Electrical Engineering department. During that time she was instrumental in advancing many wafer bonding theories and patented in situ plasma activation bonding methods and tooling. Dr. Farrens joined EV Group as Chief Scientist in spring of 2002 after four years as Sr. Process Scientist at Silicon Genesis, an SOI wafer manufacturer specializing in ultra thin SOI.