OEM Group, a semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer based in Phoenix, Arizona USA, reported that the company has received first-in-fab and repeat tool orders for its Cintillio™ wet chemical processing system. OEM Group says that the orders come from several leading Ultra Bright LED manufacturers working in the automotive lighting market. With these orders, OEM Group notes that the company has now successfully expanded its patented ECO-Process wafer surface preparation solutions into ultra bright LED fabrication. OEM Group points out that established markets for the tool include Power Device, CMOS IC, and MEMS manufacturing. The LED manufacturers reportedly plan to use the tools for ozone processing of some very sensitive layers exposed during LED fabrication, including exposed silver. Exposed silver has presented LED makers with difficult challenges in terms of surface preparation, according to OEM Group.
OEM Group’s ECO-Processes along with the company’s novel ozone processes optimized for exposed Ag, help LED fabricators significantly reduce the need for chemical waste disposal and DI water consumption for a reduced cost of ownership related to wafer surface preparation. OEM group noted that it is taking the original Semitool® wet chemical processing technology in this new direction to provide innovative and sustainable solutions, including technology for the Internet of Things.
“It is a testament to the development work on ozone processing over sensitive layers, such as Ag, carried out by our process development group based in Coopersburg, PA, that we are seeing traction and growth in the UBLED market. This work has enabled us to provide process solutions not only for UBLED FEOL applications but also throughout the entire UBLED process flow,” said Paul Inman, Business Development, Chemical Process Technology, OEM Group.
“The ability to reduce DI water consumption by up to 85%, and the virtual elimination of chemistry and related disposal costs, are factors leading to a marked increase in interest in the ECO-Processes, especially in areas suffering severe water shortages,” added Graham Pye, CPT product manager at OEM Group.
