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Thursday 20 November 2008
Production
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|NewsletterManufacturing
Semefab builds third fab for MEMS
by Steve Bush
Wednesday 4 July 2007
Fife-based Semefab is to offer prototype MEMS services, and will build a third wafer fab to increase productivity on its existing MEMS line.
“We have set up an open-access wafer fab for small quantity work, we could run just three wafers,” the firm’s MEMS business manager Ian McNaught told EW.
Semefab has two existing fabs: Fab 1 is a 410m sq. general purpose 100mm line that can process conventional integrated circuits and be used for MEMS front end work.
Fab 2 occupies 407m sq. in the same building and is dedicated to making MEMS on both 100 and 150mm wafers.
The prototype service, to be called SemeMEMS, will use ring-fenced time on the Fab 2 equipment. “The objective is to take customers through feasibility, proof-of-concept and prototype,” said McNaught. “Development under SemeMEMS will be very cost-effective.”
Described as open-access, SemeMEMS operations will be carried out by Semefab staff, said McNaught, who will work closely with customers to guide them through the process to prototype stage.
Together, Scottish Enterprise and the DTI (renamed The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform last week) have contributed £6.6m, which Semefab is matching, to expand Fab 2 and construct Fab 3.
The expansion, to be complete in November, will boost Fab 2 capability from just MEMS membrane technology. “We will be able to do microfluidics, cavities, and polyimides structures,” said McNaught. “I can’t say we will be able to do everything MEMS, but we will be able to do most things.”
By February 2008 Fab 3 will be a 871m sq. 150mm wafer line for MEMS front-end processes. It will have space to add conventional IC equipment, effectively converting it into a 150mm version of Fab 1.
“We have set up an open-access wafer fab for small quantity work, we could run just three wafers,” the firm’s MEMS business manager Ian McNaught told EW.
Semefab has two existing fabs: Fab 1 is a 410m sq. general purpose 100mm line that can process conventional integrated circuits and be used for MEMS front end work.
Fab 2 occupies 407m sq. in the same building and is dedicated to making MEMS on both 100 and 150mm wafers.
The prototype service, to be called SemeMEMS, will use ring-fenced time on the Fab 2 equipment. “The objective is to take customers through feasibility, proof-of-concept and prototype,” said McNaught. “Development under SemeMEMS will be very cost-effective.”
Described as open-access, SemeMEMS operations will be carried out by Semefab staff, said McNaught, who will work closely with customers to guide them through the process to prototype stage.
Together, Scottish Enterprise and the DTI (renamed The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform last week) have contributed £6.6m, which Semefab is matching, to expand Fab 2 and construct Fab 3.
The expansion, to be complete in November, will boost Fab 2 capability from just MEMS membrane technology. “We will be able to do microfluidics, cavities, and polyimides structures,” said McNaught. “I can’t say we will be able to do everything MEMS, but we will be able to do most things.”
By February 2008 Fab 3 will be a 871m sq. 150mm wafer line for MEMS front-end processes. It will have space to add conventional IC equipment, effectively converting it into a 150mm version of Fab 1.
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