Third microsystems MPW service now available from EUROPRACTICE

Citation

(1999), "Third microsystems MPW service now available from EUROPRACTICE", Microelectronics International, Vol. 16 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.1999.21816aab.004

Third microsystems MPW service now available from EUROPRACTICE

Third microsystems MPW service now available from EUROPRACTICE

Keywords EUROPRACTICE, Micro machining, Prototype, Wafer service

A new multi-project wafer service for the manufacture of microsystems prototypes has been announced by EUROPRACTICE.

The service, now available from EUROPRACTICE partner, TRONIC'S Microsystems, France, is particularly suited to the production of products such as accelerometers and gyroscopes.

TRONIC'S Microsystems Epi-SOl surface micromachining process creates sensing elements on a 20 micron thick single crystal silicon layer that is epitaxially deposited on a SIMOX wafer. This technology takes advantage of the mechanical and electrical properties of the single crystal silicon layer, and is therefore well qualified for the manufacture of very sensitive structures such as accelerometers for pacemakers.

The first MPW run is planned for January 1999. Twenty or more prototype dies of each customer design will be produced for evaluation. The company will also offer small, medium and high volume manufacture using the same process.

Multi-project wafer manufacture, widely used in the ASIC field, provides low-cost access to well developed microsystems technologies. Within EUROPRACTICE, the MPW approach has achieved considerable success: one-third of the 108 microsystems projects developed during the first two years of the initiative have used MPW services already available from Bosch in Germany and CSEM in Switzerland. TRONIC'S Microsystems' MPW service will complete this offer. In response to the continuing high level of customer demand, a fourth MPW service is planned to be launched next year by SensoNor, a EUROPRACTICE partner based in Norway.