Tronics has been manufacturing MEMS devices for 15 years with an emphasis on SOI and WLP, and has focused on specialized MEMS fabrication processes. As such, the company said recently that it is capitalizing on the growing number of sub-micron MEMS devices opportunities to expand its equipment and process base. According to Tronics, over the past two years the company has been acquiring advanced equipment and allocated significant resources to the development of sub-micron MEMS processes, which combine traditional MEMS structures and advanced nanotechnology parts. There are a growing number of opportunities for sub-micron MEMS devices in optical, and also in inertial and microfluidics applications.
Tronics stated that acquired a 0.25 micron i-line stepper to address some of these opportunities. In the world of MEMS, this is high resolution for device features. The stepper allows the patterning of the very small geometries necessary for many applications, such as piezo-resistive inertial MEMS based on silicon nanowires, or micro mirrors for telecommunication applications. This machine is also needed to manufacture moving structures requiring very tight alignment.
Tronics also acquired equipment for nanoimprint lithography (NIL). This technique allows the creation of structures with resolution as small as 50 nanometers by embossing a resist with a stamp. This technology is cost effective for patterning large areas, provided that the processes have been properly developed and validated. Tronics said that it was one of the first European companies to bring NIL to industrial production, and is now using nanoimprint to define high-density structures on both silicon and glass substrates.
With a total investment in excess of 2 million Euros in this field over the past 18 months, Tronics has demonstrated its commitment to becoming a leader in the sub-micron MEMS business. The new equipment is fully operational at Tronics and is being used for product deliveries to customers. More than ten thousand wafers have already been processed and delivered.
The range of applications requiring tight alignment and sub-micron patterns is broad and growing. Some examples are sub-micron optical gratings, spectrometers, fluidic filters, piezo-resistive inertial sensors based on silicon nano-wires, micromirrors, gas sensors based on resonant silicon nano-cantilivers, and there are many others.
Pascal Langlois, CEO of the Tronics group said: "Tronics is committed to further developing the know-how required to address these opportunities, and to expanding its equipment and process portfolio. Tronics will continue to build on its solid MEMS engineering background and its ability to solve difficult MEMS manufacturing challenges, and plans to remain a leader in specialty MEMS processes."
Founded in 1997, Tronics operates wafer fabs in France and the United States, and has representation in Asia.
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