Ferdinand-Braun-Institut Chooses Solstice S4 for Advanced Electroplating and Wafer Surface Processing

The FBH is a major III-V compound semiconductor research institute that develops leading-edge microwave and optoelectronic devices for communications, energy, health, mobility and other industries.

We were looking for the right tool to optimize our metal lift-off processes, and we did a rigorous comparison of competitive equipment, said Olaf Kruger, Head of FBH's Process Technology Department. The Solstice S4 came out the winner, with superior performance in comparison demos. And one strong differentiator was ClassOne's unique face-down wafer processing design.

Our face-down processing has become a clear favorite in the compound semiconductor industry, said Roland Seitz, Director of ClassOne's European Operations. It's an elegant design that does the job better and also eliminates fundamental problems common in other tools. For example, it prevents re-adhesion issues. After metal fragments and cross-linked photoresist have been dislodged, gravity simply pulls them away from the wafer surface and down the chamber drain - leaving the wafer surface clean.

Seitz explained that the Solstice S4's compact footprint and its configuration and multi-processing flexibility were additional factors in the purchase decision - as well as FBH's experience with ClassOne's other equipment and customer support, since FBH is a repeat customer. Seitz noted that with the addition of the S4, FBH's Berlin facility will now be employing virtually the entire portfolio of ClassOne tools, including the Solstice S8 as well as SAT, SST, and SRD systems.

ClassOne's Solstice platform includes three complementary configurations The 8-chambered Solstice S8 with up to 75-wph throughput, the 4-chambered automated Solstice S4, and the 2-chambered Solstice LT for process development. In addition to electroplating, the Solstice's special Plating-Plus capabilities enable it to handle numerous other functions, including wafer cleaning, high-pressure metal lift-off, resist strip, UBM etch and more. This multi-processing flexibility often reduces the number of different tools a user needs to purchase.