Electroplating MEMS, Solar Technology, Semiconductors, and Wafers with Excellite

For electroplating MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) solar and semiconductors, Precision Process provides electroplating equipment and wet processing systems specifically designed for electrolytic and electroless wafer electroplating of silicon, gallium arsenide, and similar glass-type substrates.

Precision Process offers a state-of-the-art clean room facility to ensure plating equipment is manufactured to meet your stringent production standards.

Introducing Excellite

The Excellite product line provides electroplating equipment and wet processing equipment specifically designed for high tech industries. Depending on your requirements, Precision Process can provide a variety of Excellite series options:

  • Excellite EXP—a tri-axis automated wafer transport system that allows all chemical processes in the rear and all rinsing in the front
  • 9000 series tools—a reciprocating anode assembly (assembly traverses back and forth while the wafer rotates).
  • 8000 series tools—a carousel assembly to move the wafers around center-mounted anodes, while the wafers themselves rotate.
  • Excellite FSP—continuous plating and wet processing of a variety of flexible substrates, including flex circuits, RFID, and solar applications.

Excellite EXP

Designed for production applications, the new EXP series has the smallest, most efficient layout design in the industry. EXP uses a tri-axis automated wafer transport system that allows all chemical processes in the rear and all rinsing in the front.

This design results in a footprint half the length of conventional linear systems, saving valuable clean room floor space. The EXP transporter is clean, fast, smooth, and accurate in positioning fragile wafers. EXP is available in single or multiple robot configurations.

Features

  • Automatic or manual operations
  • 50-300 mm wafer capability
  • Underbump metalization applications
  • MEMS
  • OEMS
  • MOEMS
  • CMOS

Excellite 9000 series

The Excellite 9001M offers a unique, patented electroplating cell configuration combining planetary and orbital-type movements, which provides the foundation for electroplating uniformity.

The 9001M features one plating vessel designed to electroplate a single wafer at a time. A high precision pulse DC power supply provides rectification.

Standard components:

  • Heated dragout rinse
  • Quick dump rinse air aspirator
  • DI water spray gun
  • Nitrogen spray gun

The standard tool includes microprocessor-based controls for heat, time, filtration, and fill/dump cycles. A PLC touch screen offers additional control options. A full PC-based control with touch screen offers data acquisition and real-time trending.

External carboy dump tanks are available for waste, as well as a resin-based reclaim system for precious metal reclaim.

Excellite 8000 series

The Excellite 8000 series offers single cell and dual-cell versions. These wafer plating systems are designed around a unique plating tank configuration which combines planetary and orbital type movement, which provide the foundation for plating uniformity.

Excellite 8001—Single cell version

The single cell version features one plating vessel with the capacity of electroplating up to eight wafers at one time. A multi-channel DC power supply allows the operator to adjust the required milliamp current to each individual wafer.

  • The electroplating tank features a weir overflow plumbed to a sump tank. The sump tank houses an electric immersion heater and a filtration system.
  • Filtered solution is returned to the plating tank through a series of vertical spargers, which circulate the flow towards the face of the wafer.
  • A dragout rinse and an overflow rinse tank are included in the base system.
  • Options for custom features include quick dump rinses and PLC or computer control.

How it works

Wafers are mounted on individual fixtures, or arm assemblies. Each arm can be removed from the plating tank, or positioned in the tank as plating requirements dictate. The "wheel" to which the wafer is attached rotates as the entire carousel of eight arm assemblies revolves around the carousel. Inert anodes are positioned in different locations around the interior of the carousel, allowing the wafers to "see" the anodes from different angles. This results in a continuously changing distance between the anodes and the wafers. As the wafer moves continuously in relation to the anode, the problem of metal depletion at the face of the wafer is considerably reduced, keeping the deposition rate consistent. This combination of mechanical movements provides the base for superior plating results.

External carboy dump tanks are available for waste, as well as a resin-based reclaim system for precious metal reclaim

Excellite 8002—dual cell version

The dual cell version features two plating vessel, with the capacity of plating up to eight wafers at one time. Multi-channel DC power supplies allow the operator to adjust the required milliamp current to each individual wafer.

The system comes standard with two dragout rinses, a quick dump rinse, and a glove wash. Nitrogen blow-offs and DI spray guns are included.

Contact Precision Process today to learn more about advanced plating systems.