CUSTOMER SPECIFIC MEMS DEVELOPMENT AND FOUNDRY SERVICE FROM TRONIC'S MICROSYSTEMS

摘要

Since its creation in 1997 as a spin off from CEA LETI, Tronic's Microsystems has focused its effort in offering to O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) customers, foundry services based on strong technology building blocks around thick SOI (Silicon On Insulator) wafers surface and bulk micromachining. Its expertise in releasing thick complex moveable structures, grown by epitaxy of single crystalline silicon active layer or from bonded SOI wafer, allows engineers to imagine designs using interdigitated comb, membrane or cantilever beam combined with various detection and actuation principles. Thus, the company has been able to serve gradually various high-end markets by providing MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) components such as sensors, optical MEMS, RF MEMS (Radio Frequency MEMS) and microfluidics components, bringing innovative microsystems design from concept to volume production. All steps of the development cycle are fully covered by Tronic's in full compliance with ISO 9001; from co-design capability to full volume production including development and industrialisation phases. At the early stage, the prototyping process is particularly effective due to a good preparation of feasability and prototyping runs. The use of MEMSOI Multi Project Wafer offer (MPW) and the Multi Parameter Design Custom Wafer offer (MPDCW) reinforce the capacity of customer to issue cost competitive readily useable designs. The technology MEMS toolbox includes not only industry standard in photolithography, material deposition, wet and dry etching including DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching) but also wafer bonding, wafer level packaging and test. Tronic's has successfully practised up to now, two business models depending on volume perspective; 1. contract agreement starting at prototype stage or including development from design to series manufacturing 2. for very large scale ultimate production, the same previous offer can potentially lead to a contract technology transfer with a second source positioning In all cases, a close partnership with customer, either leader corporation or innovative start-up company, is the key factor for quick and effective achievement.