The Apollo Physical Vapor Deposition System

Overview

The most versatile, cost-effective PVD system available

The Apollo is a high throughput sputtering deposition system specifically designed for advanced wafer-level semiconductor packaging. With unique system architecture, the Apollo delivers remarkable versatility, excellent performance, and low cost of ownership.

It is ideally suited for a wide variety of applications including under bump metallization, redistribution layers, backside metallization, CMOS image sensors, integrated passives, and LEDs. And, the Apollo is perfect for solar panel metallization, a growing need in alternative energy production. The inline design of the Apollo enables unparalleled speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Fast Apollo can process 50-70 wafers per hour. Multi-wafer processing requires no central handling, and wafers are loaded in atmosphere, so there is no vacuum handling. And, a single chamber can process multiple metals, so no movement is required for an additional layer.
Flexible Safe on-tray processing allows the Apollo to be highly flexible. It can be configured for wafer sizes from 50 mm to 300 mm, and in thicknesses from 100 µm to 2 mm. And changeover occurs in a little over an hour.
Cost-effective A variety of factors determine cost of ownership for a wafer processing system. With the high cost of cleanroom space, a system needs to be small to be cost-effective. The Apollo’s footprint is typically half the size of comparable tools on the market. Coupled with a low capital investment, its cost of ownership is up to 50% lower than competitive PVD cluster systems. As compared to a cluster tool, the cost per wafer is also up to 50% lower.

Apollo brings a new level of efficiency and flexbility to backend processes, getting the most wafer throughput out of the smallest footprint available on the market. For an industry whose mantra is "smaller, faster, cheaper," the Apollo Physical Vapor Deposition system delivers.

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Publications

	Materion Partners with NEXX Systems to Optimize PVD of AuSn Solder at CSMATECH 2012 Download here
	TEL NEXX presents Apollo's NiV PVD Stress Control capabilities with International Rectifier at the 45th IMAPS Conference September 2012 Download here
	Collimated Physical Vapor Deposition for Through-Silicon Via Barrier-Seed Deposition Using Inexpensive Collimators and Scanning Deposition, Production-Worth Throughput is Achieved by Stephen Golvato, George Seryogin, and Daniel Goodman Chip Scale Review, Jan-Feb 2010 Download here
	Effect of wafer bow on electrostatic chucking and back side gas cooling by Daniel L. Goodman Journal of Applied Physics, 104, 124902-1, Dec 2008 Download here
	PVD Processing for Flip Chip: Considering Adhesion Layer Properties by A. Keigler, S. Golovato, K. O'Donnell, J. Chiu, R. Hollman Advanced Packaging, Oct 2007 Download here
	Alternative UBM for Lead-Free Solder Bumping using C4NP by K. Ruhmer, E. Laine, K. O'Donnell, J. Kostetsky, K. Hauck, D. Manessis, A. Ostmann, M. Toepper, N. Juergenseen Presentation made at ECTC 2007 Download here
	Advances in Metal Deposition for Wafer Bumping by Matt Dorogi, Mark Welsh, and Arthur Keigler From Advanced Packaging, Feb 2006 Download here
	Pulsed DC Sputtered Aluminum Nitride: A Novel Approach to Control Stress and C-axis Orientation by P. Soussan, K. O'Donnell, J. D'Haen, G. Vanhoyland, E. Beyne, and H. Tilmans Presented at MRS meeting, Boston, 2004 Download here
	Under Bump Metallurgy for Lead-free Solder by Kathy O'Donnell Article in "Lead-free Electronics: Essential Information on the Lead-free Transition," a supplement to Advanced Packaging, Connector Specifier, and SMT magazines, November 2004 Download here
	Characterization of reaction rates and intermetallic phase formation for Cu, Ni NiV UBM layers with SnPb and lead-free SnAg solders by K. O'Donnell, NEXX Systems; D. Gupta, APSTL; P. Silberud, Semitool; and C. Lopper, L. Dietrich and M. Toepper, Fraunhofer (IZM). Presented at Flip Chip Conference 2004 Download here Additional materials, presented during Semicon Taiwan 2004
	A Sputtered Nickel Under Bump Metallurgy Structure for Lead-free Solder for Use in Flip Chip Packaging by K. O’Donnell, J. Kostetsky, R. DeVito, NEXX Systems; and V. Bellido-Gonzalez, S. Powell, D. Monaghan, Gencoa Presented at the Flip Chip Conference 2003 with supplemental presentation materials Download here
	Stress Control in NiV, CR and TiW thin Films used in UBM and Backside Metallization by K. O'Donnell, J. Kostetsky, and R.S. Post. Download here

THE APOLLO Physical Vapor Deposition System

The Apollo Physical Vapor Deposition System

Overview

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PRODUCTS