Plan Optik AG

• Booth: 229

glass wafer, carrier wafer, packaging wafer and interposer!

Overview

Glass wafer and Carrier for MEMS and semiconductors.

Plan Optik AG is the leading manufacturer of structured wafers when it comes to technology. In sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, chemistry and pharmaceuticals these wafers are essential components used as active elements for numerous applications in MEMS technology. The wafers of glass, glass-silicon compounds or quartz are available in sizes up to 300 mm diameter. Wafers by Plan Optik provide high-precision surfaces. Plan Optik wafers are available to minimum tolerances with application-specific structuring and complex material combinations.

Plan Optik AG's extensive experience in the integration of optical, electronic or chemical functions within a wafer as the basis of MEMS applications has made the company the preferred partner of large international manufacturers. Based on Plan Optik's expert knowledge the wafers are developed in collaboration with customers such as OSRAM, Infineon, Motorola, Samsung, Honeywell and Bosch.

  Press Releases

• THIN WAFER HANDLING CARRIER (Jul 04, 2023)

  What are Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers?

  Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers are tools that are used as Carriers in the manufacture of thin semiconductor wafers. Without the use of such Carriers, production and handling of very thin semiconductor wafers (down to approx. 50 microns) would be unthinkable.

  How do Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers work? 

  The device wafer is temporarily bonded to the Carrier. As a result, the device wafer can be processed with conventional semiconductor processing systems without running the risk of being damaged due to its small thickness in the process.

  What materials and sizes are available?

  Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers can me made from various materials. The Carrier material is adapted to the thermal expansion (cte) of the device wafer. This includes carrier materials adapted to Silicon, GaAs, SiC and many others. Carriers are available up to a diameter of 300mm.  There are different Carrier types for all commercially available debonding systems (e.g. chemical debonding, laser debonding, thermal debonding and mechanical debonding).

  What are the benefits of using Plan Optik’s Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers?

  Plan Optik’s Thin-Wafer-Handling Carriers are characterized by their large number of variants and, in particular, by their stability and thus high reuse rate (typically more than 50 times). Thanks to many years of expertise in the field of such Carriers, Plan Optik is able to offer solutions that are specifically tailored to customer needs.

  Available products at Plan Optik:

  • Chemical release Carrier
  • Laser release Carrier
  • Thermal release Carrier
  • Mechanical release Carrier

• VLIS has arrived! New Product Launch by Plan Optik and 4JET (Jul 04, 2023)

  Plan Optik AG (Elsoff, Germany) and 4JET microtech (Alsdorf, Germany) have jointly developed a process chain for the highly productive production of metallized through-glass vias.

  The new VLIS process (short for Volume Laser Induced Structuring) enables the production of high-precision TGV (“Through Glass Vias”) for advanced packaging in glass wafers, or substrates for displays.

  TGV are micro-holes with a diameter of typically 10µm to 100µm. For various applications in the advanced packaging sector, tens of thousands of these vias are applied per wafer and metallized to produce the required conductivity. TGV’s are also used in the manufacture of borderless displays, for example based on µLED. Previous methods for manufacturing were slow, associated with high reject rates and difficult to match to the metallization process.

  The teams from both companies have now developed a solution that can prepare several 10,000 vias per minute, which are etched in a subsequent batch process to be coated afterwards. The resulting channels are positioned with a hole-to-hole accuracy better than +/- 2µm. The substrates are free of microcracks, and the insides of the channels are smooth-walled and can be homogeneously metallized. The process is suitable for glass types typical in the semiconductor and display industry. In addition to glass starting thicknesses of 100µm, various copper layers down to 25µm thickness can be realized.

  The two partners have agreed on a cooperation that provides users with a high degree of flexibility: Customers can either purchase components produced with VLIS from Plan Optik, or purchase qualified total solutions for system technology including laser systems, wet chemistry and metallization from 4JET and partners.

  Plan Optik already has a modern production chain for the manufacture of glass wafers and masters all process steps from wafer cutting and edge processing, through structuring and cleaning, to metallization. The addition of 4JET’s system technology now enables the rapid and positionally accurate modification of substrates. A modified version of the proven 4JET laser systems for cutting glass is used. The PEARL platform is already used for cutting glass substrates in display, architectural glass, or medical technology. Depending on the version, the systems are capable of high-precision modification of glass up to 2.2 m wide and more than 3 m long.
   

  A new technology

  The use of laser technology for selective etching is not new, but overall the cooperation delivers significant advances for customers: the combination with Plan Optik AG’s extensive process chain creates the world’s leading solution chain for fully processed and metallized TGV wafers. At the same time, the precision, speed and availability now achievable on very large substrates enables application in display manufacturing for the first time.

  The two partners see further potential for the VLIS process for glass-based MEMS, microfluidics or high-frequency antenna technology (e.g. 6G).

  The PEARL systems are based on a granite machine platform that offers inherent accuracy and long-term stability. Cutting geometries and positions for interposers can be easily imported from CAD drawings. Targeted tuning of axis controls results not only in high cutting speed, but also in excellent path accuracy to achieve high-precision machining. The PEARL DYNAMIC FOCUS ensures that the focus is always within the process window without increasing the process time.

  For more information, please visit vlis.tech or contact our sales engineers:

  Phone: +49 2664 5068 60
  E-Mail: sales@planoptik.com

• MEMS Pressure Sensors (Jul 04, 2023)

  What are MEMS Pressure Sensors?

  MEMS Pressure Sensors are manufactured by using MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) technologies. The core part of a MEMS Pressure Sensor is a pressure sensing die based on a silicon device wafer, encapsulated by a high quality borosilicate glass wafer. 

  How do MEMS Pressure Sensors work? 

  A membrane inside the silicon device wafer is created by micro machining processing steps. When pressure is applied, this membrane will deflect. This deflection can be detected and transformed to electrical signals by capacitive, piezoresistive or piezoelectric sensing.

  There are different measurement principles of MEMS Pressure Sensors available such as absolute, gauge and differential measurement.

  a) absolute measurement

  

  b) gauge measurement

  

  c) differential measurement

  

  What are MEMS Pressure Sensors used for?

  Automotive: Tire pressure, power steering, fuel injection, battery control, air conditioning, exhaust management, oil pressure, etc.
  Aerospace: altitude control, atmospheric pressure, cabin pressure, jet engine, etc.
  Live science: blood pressure, intracranial pressure (ICP), pacemakers, etc.
  Consumer: barometric pressure, oil and gas production and transportation, coffee machine, etc.

  What are MEMS Pressure Sensors glass wafers used for?

  Glass wafers are a critical part in respect to the function of the entire sensor. They are used for encapsulation of the sensor. They need to ensure a long term stability, especially for critical, safety related functions in aerospace, automotive and medical applications.

  Whats the advantage of Plan Optik’s glass wafers and how do they look like?

  Plan Optik’s MEMS Pressure Sensor glass wafers are made from a special borosilicate glass (Borofloat33®, Pyrex®, etc.) due to its thermal properties (CTE) adapted to Silicon. Additionally this glass is suitable for anodic bonding due to its chemical composition. Plan Optik is offering high quality wafers in all common diameters with an extensive thickness range. These wafers can be double side polished or patterned (cavities or through-holes).

  Available products at Plan Optik:

  • polished glass wafers
  • MDF polished glass wafers
  • Through-hole glass wafers
  • Cavity glass wafers