Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low cost manufacturing in Europe

Project Information

APPLAUSE

Grant agreement ID: 826588

DOI

10.3030/826588

Project closed

EC signature date 23 May 2019

Start date 1 May 2019

End date 31 October 2022

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 33 739 697,16

EU contribution

€ 8 403 154,96

Coordinated by

ICOS VISION SYSTEMS NV
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - APPLAUSE (Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low cost manufacturing in Europe)

Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2022-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The title of this project is “Advanced packaging for photonics, optics and electronics for low-cost manufacturing in Europe” with acronym being APPLAUSE. The general focus has been on advanced packaging developments, and on the packaging of electronic chips combined with optics and photonics components.

The impact of the APPLAUSE project results relates to the objective to “maintain and grow semiconductor and smart system manufacturing capability in Europe, including leadership in manufacturing equipment and materials processing”. The primary focus of the project has been related to the essential capability “Process, Equipment, Materials and Manufacturing”, with wide-ranging applications in Transport and Mobility, Health and Well-being and Digital Life application areas.

The strategic objectives of the APPLAUSE project were:
1. Developing new tools, methods, and processes for automated mass manufacturing and advanced packaging for the semiconductor, optics, and photonics industries
2. Bringing advanced packaging and automated mass manufacturing concepts to optics and photonics via industrial Use Cases. Several Use Cases were part of the project.
3. Increasing the competitiveness and global market share of European semiconductor industry, and in particular the manufacturing equipment and packaging/assembly industries

Processes developed include a complete advanced packaging process flow for an ambient light sensor, temporary bonding processes, several hermetic bonding approaches, a process combining the redistribution layer formation together with the via formation, biocompatible coatings, and through polymer vias. The tools and methods include handling methods, inspection/metrology approaches, bonding and molding methods.

The APPLAUSE project developed advanced packaging concepts to combine electronics with optics and/or photonics and these concepts are/can be automated for mass manufacturing. The developments are used in the industrial use cases. See Use Cases below.

Components have been developed such as a photodiode and an electro-absorption modulator (EML) meeting the next generation datacom transceiver requirements. New material for semiconductor processing and flexible electronics were further developed. A significant step to increase competitiveness and market share of European semiconductor industry has been demonstrated. New tools and processes were implemented for advanced packaging of optics and photonics.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The focus of APPLAUSE has been on advanced assembly and packaging technologies for combined electronics, optics and photonics, targeting high-volume, low-cost manufacturability. The concept was based on:
1. Developing the key technological building blocks, leveraging and extending the current capabilities and the cutting-edge know-how for competitiveness
2. Developing industrial need-based Use Cases, which utilize the building blocks, and take them towards manufacturability, assuring short time-to-market.
3. Supporting the ecosystem and communication across the value chains by tailored communication, exploitation, dissemination, IP protection, and specific ecosystem-engagement actions as well as with efficient project management.
The APPLAUSE project workplan was structured in eight work packages (WP). WP1 management took care of the coordination and management of the whole project, supported by a separate task that described the activities of the subcontracted service provider for the daily admin support.
The R&D activities started under WP2 - for requirements and specifications and WP3 design, modelling and simulation activities, both including tasks for each of the Use Cases. WP4 delivered the needed equipment, process and software components. All these inter-related and fed to WP5 packaging and integration. WP5 fed to both WP6 for testing, metrology and reliability issues, and to WP7 for pilot production of Use Case demonstrators. All the results then fed to WP8, which took care of exploitation, dissemination and communication.
The technology developed within the WPs fed into five industry partner driven demonstration use cases (UC):
- A substantially smaller 3D integrated ambient light sensor for mobile and wearable applications
- A high-performance, low-cost, uncooled thermal IR sensor for automotive and surveillance applications
- High-speed datacom transceivers with lower manufacturing costs
- A flexible cardiac monitoring patch
- Miniaturized cardiac implants with advanced monitoring capabilities

Commercialization timeline for industrial partners were mapped during the project including market entries expected within the next five years. There were several patent applications made during the project by partners. Follow-on projects related to aspects of APPLAUSE developments are either planned or ongoing in several newer projects.
In short, the APPLAUSE project results may be quantified as follows:
• 55 Deliverables (incl. 6 public), 6 Milestones
• 5 use case demonstrators
• 30+ advanced packaging related technology developments
• 10+ use case related technology developments
• 17 Publications (more to come), PhD school & dissemination day, online presence.
• Joint development and exploitation trajectories

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project partners have realized several innovations that could be readily implemented in their core activities and business sectors. Highlights were the progress in the development of a high-accuracy pick and place machine for optical devices and a wafer-level tester for optical sensors. The high accuracy pick and place machine is entering a new market for C2W hybrid bonding, targeting sub-micron die attach as a major product group and silicon photonics as a new market field. Other important results include: a new base material used for the development work in the heart monitoring patch, which is now offered as a base material for simple circuits, a temporary bonding process that is already used by a project partner in production, and a low-temperature wafer-level metal bonding process that is demonstrated for the first time in the world.

The work carried out contributes to the originally expected impacts in several market segments including wearables, ambient light sensors, thermal IR imagery, optical data links and heart monitoring. In addition to the direct impact of the five use cases, it is the indirect impact of the innovative work carried out during the APPLAUSE project which is potentially more important. Accuracy, speed and miniaturisation have been increased in several industrial processes aimed at mass production in the field of advanced packaging. Moreover, the work on wafer-level bonding, flexboards, flip-chip handling, precision pick-and-place alignment, flexible PCBs and alternative coatings can have wide ranging impact beyond the limits of the use cases.

The industry partners have made many semiconductor industry related developments resulting in new equipment, processes and components. Process tools for bonding and molding have been developed as well as inspection, metrology and test equipment. Exploitation of these results are ongoing, several tools are already released to the market and more will follow. This will increase the competitiveness and revenue of these European industry partners and by that strengthen the European semiconductor industry.

APPLAUSE Logo PNG format