EVG's Bonding and UV-NIL Systems for Nemotek’s CMOS Image Sensors

EV Group (EVG) has received a repeat order from Nemotek Technologies for supplying the IQ Aligner and the EVG520IS, its UV nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) and bonding systems.

These systems will be utilized by Nemotek for meeting its production requirement for wafer-level optics and CMOS image sensors for deployment in wafer-level cameras for use in mobile applications.

Since the mobile phone camera size is likely to be a limiting factor for mobile handset designs, the requirement for smaller camera modules capable of offering cost-effective, higher-resolution features is increasing. This demand has resulted in a change over to produce the micro-optics stack and the CMOS image sensor at the wafer level that has posed new manufacturing challenges. Effective bonding in manifold optical stack levels and accurate alignment are required to manufacture such devices at the wafer level, for achieving optimum device performance. EVG’s IQ Aligner, famous for its capability for aligning wafers with very high precision, is the only industry-established, mass volume manufacturing solution for stacking and wafer lens molding currently available.

The class 10 cleanroom from Nemotek will be augmented by the EVG systems. This cleanroom already incorporates some of the EVG tools that includes an EVG40NT metrology system, an EVG6200 bond aligner, an EVG520IS wafer bonder, and a fully automated IQ Aligner UV-NIL system. The IQ Aligner and the EVG520IS tools of the EVG will be installed in the cleanroom in phases. Currently the two-bond chamber EVG520IS for use during the manufacture of the CMOS image sensor is under production and will be ready once the manufacturing is completed this month. Later this year the IQ Aligner UV-NIL system will be installed in the cleanroom for UV bonding of micro-optics stacks, micro-lens molding, and bond alignment.

The market for the wafer-level camera equipment is a high-growth domain where EVG has proved its technological expertise and process. The dominant position of EVG in the domain resulted in financial success of EVG in 2009. The company continued to experience a boost in its revenue and order intake in 2009, despite the worldwide financial recession.