The focus of the two companies’ combined activity will be developing standardized post front-end wafer fab bonding processes using Ferro Corp.’s low temperature glass frit material on production-proven EV Group’s wafer bonding systems. An important additional key segment of the partnership is evaluating frit materials for sealing MEMS devices at temperatures below 400°C.
Low temperature wafer bonding under vacuum or controlled ambient pressures is a critical issue for MEMS devices like silicon gyros, accelerometers and pressure sensors, as it provides basically a first level assembly process for these products. The cost impact of wafer level sealing or silicon capping of MEMS components is critical. It can mean the difference between a low cost plastic and an expensive military-style ceramic package.
This alliance is expected to significantly reduce the development cycle and time to market for advanced MEMS manufacturers.