ClassOne Technology, global provider of advanced electroplating and wet processing tools for microelectronics manufacturing, and IBM Research today announced they have signed a joint development agreement focused on wet processing for advanced packaging. The two companies will leverage their respective semiconductor chemistry expertise to create innovative solvent solutions for a range of advanced semiconductor and packaging process applications.
The focus of the joint project will be to develop best known methods (BKMs) for non-NMP solvent processing in manufacturing IBM semiconductor devices. NMP, or N-Methylpyrrolidone, is a chemical compound long used in a variety of industries, including semiconductor fabrication, for removal of surface materials.
ClassOne has been a strategic supplier to IBM since 2014, developing technologies in electroplating, metal lift-off (MLO), and wet cleaning processes, subsequently expanding to indium plating and under-bump metallization (UBM). ClassOne CEO Byron Exarcos noted, “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in developing alternatives for advanced semiconductor processing. Combining our flexible wafer-processing platform and seasoned team with IBM’s extensive research experience and resources will result in novel solutions that we look forward to sharing throughout our industry.”