Application for Strategic Equipment: Wafer Bonder at LCN

晶圆加工起源于微电子学，用于大规模生产集成电路，这项技术在过去的一代人中改变了世界。晶片通常是从硅的单晶体上切下来的。在过去的25年里，这项技术已经催生了许多新的微工程领域，如MEMS，微流体，芯片实验室和微封装。在这些领域，小型三维结构是建立在晶圆上的;这通常是通过将两个或更多个晶圆结合在一起来完成的。有许多方法形成的债券：胶粘剂，阳极，直接，共晶，玻璃，焊料和热压。哪种方法是最好的取决于材料，允许的温度和其他许多考虑因素;通常，成功的键合对正在制造的器件的成功至关重要。这笔赠款将使伦敦纳米技术中心（LCN）能够购买一台多功能晶片键合机，用于所有这些类型的键合。它将提供给大学的研究人员和公司的产品开发。申请人有开发只能通过这些技术制造的非常小的植入式电子设备的项目。该应用的支持者包括从事柔性显示器、微型化学反应器、能量收集、无线传感器等领域的研究人员。该基金将支付机器的费用、五年的维护费用以及一名LCN工作人员的费用。良好的管理将确保机器保持良好的工作状态，并在用户之间传递操作经验。LCN将宣传它的存在，以便尽可能多的人从中受益。该焊接机将提供给大学研究人员和其他人，如正在开发产品或进行小规模生产的小公司。

Wafer processing originated in microelectronics, for mass production of integrated circuits, a technology that has transformed the world in the past generation. The wafers are usually cut from single crystals of silicon. In the past twenty five years, the technology has spawned many new areas of microengineering, such as MEMs, micro-fluidics, lab-on-a-chip and micropackaging. In these areas, small three-dimensional structures are built on wafers; often this is done by bonding two or more wafers together. There are many methods for forming the bonds: adhesive, anodic, direct, eutectic, glass, solder and thermo-compression. Which method is best depends on the materials, allowable temperatures and other many considerations; usually, successful bonding is crucial to the success of the device that is being fabricated.This grant will enable a versatile wafer bonding machine to be bought for the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) that can be used for all these types of bonding. It will be made available for researchers in universities and for product development by companies. The applicants have projects to develop very small surgically-implanted electronic devices that can only be made by these techniques. Supporters of the application include those working on flexible displays, micro chemical reactors, energy harvesting, wireless sensors, and many others.The grant will pay for the machine, maintenance for five years and for a member of LCN staff to look after it. Good management will ensure that it is kept in good working order, and that operating experience is passed between users. The LCN will advertise its presence so that as many people as possible benefit from it.The bonder will be available to university researchers and others, such as small companies who are developing products or doing small production runs.