SECAP Disbands with Goal Achieved

The Semiconductor Equipment Consortium for Advanced Packaging (SECAP) said today that it will disband now that it has successfully established 300mm Wafer Level Packaging as a functional technology and full-volume production is underway.

Established in July 2000 by packaging equipment suppliers,

SECAP's goal was to address challenges in the development and validation of process equipment for the industry's conversion to wafer level packaging and 300mm wafer technology. Member companies were Semitool, SUSS MicroTec, Image Technology, Unaxis, EKRA, BTU International and the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) in Berlin. Later Nexx Systems joined the consortium along with many consumables suppliers.

In the spring of 2001, SECAP produced its first solder-bumped http://www.reed-electronics.com/electronicnews/article/CA93308 300mm wafers. Since July 2002, SECAP members worked closely together with Amkor/Unitive to develop a 300mm wafer bumping line. The line is equipped for electroplated solder bumping and was set up at Unitive Semiconductor in Hsinchu, Taiwan. After line qualification, which started in May 2003, it was open for a short period of time for interested parties to view and to verify its capabilities.

Amkor Technology acquired the line at end of 2004 and it is now in high volume production. With this acquisition SECAP has accomplished its mission to demonstrate to the advanced packaging industry a cost effective equipment system for 300 mm electroplated solder bumping.

All resources gathered throughout SECAP's activities will be archived on the SECAP website, www.secap.org www.secap.org, that will remain an active link. SECAP members will also continue to work closely together on other projects as necessary, the consortium said.