Dow Corning joins imec’s 3d packaging research programme

"This move is a natural and strategic step for Dow Corning and imec," said Andrew Ho, Dow's global industry director, Advanced Semiconductor Materials, "as we both believe collaborative innovation is as critical to industry leadership as native expertise. Our access to imec's resources and expertise will not only help us further refine our temporary bonding solution, it will also allow imec to leverage that solution to advance integration of the 3d packaging process it has been developing for years." One of the key challenges which imec is addressing is how to bond the device wafer to a carrier wafer prior to wafer thinning, as well as the safe debonding of the thinned wafer. Dow Corning has already developed a Temporary Bonding Solution, which comprises an adhesive and a release layer. The technology supports room temperature bonding and debonding. Dow Corning and imec will now explore Dow's temporary bonding solution for 3d through silicon vias (TSV) with the aim of developing simple, cost effective bonding-debonding techniques compatible with standard manufacturing processes. Eric Beyne, imec's program director for 3D System Integration, added: "We look forward to collaborating closely with our newest member as we drive the next stage of 3d integration and help to ensure compatibility of the proposed thin wafer carrier solution with sub 10nm cmos device technologies."