FormFactor's Wafer-Level Packaging Process Licensed to Infineon; Europe's Leading IC Manufacturer Also Invests $5 Million in FormFactor.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

LIVERMORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 5, 2000

FormFactor, Inc. the world's leading provider of complete wafer-level semiconductor test and packaging solutions, has licensed its wafer-level packaging and test processes to Infineon Technologies AG, one of the world's top ten semiconductor manufacturers. Under this agreement, Infineon will have a worldwide license to implement FormFactor's patented MicroSpring(TM) contact technology for use in chip assembly as well as in test and burn-in procedures. Infineon plans to use the technology to simplify its manufacturing and reduce back-end process costs, including using it with 300mm wafers. In addition to the licensing agreement, Infineon has invested $5 million in FormFactor.

"Back-end processing costs are a large and growing percentage of our overall DRAM costs," said Dr. B. Vasquez, Senior Director, Memory Products, Integrated Assembly & Test at Infineon. "As a long-time FormFactor probe card customer, we have been very impressed with the capabilities of their MicroSpring contacts, and our investment in the company demonstrates Infineon's confidence that FormFactor's innovative wafer-level packaging represents a unique opportunity to revolutionize the industry's approach to back-end processing. FormFactor's technology holds the potential to simplify our test, burn-in, and packaging process and offers wafer-level scaling for back-end processing that is important as we prepare for 300mm fab productions."

Using FormFactor's patented wafer-level packaging technology, customers fabricate MicroSpring contacts directly onto the wafers. At that point, the wafers can either be tested and burned-in at the whole-wafer level, or in single-die Chip Scale Package (CSP) form. Good die can then be assembled into memory modules or printed circuit boards by soldering the same MicroSpring contacts directly to the substrate with standard surface mount technology processes, saving several steps compared to traditional packaging methods.

"Infineon is known throughout the semiconductor industry for its intelligent and innovative approaches to DRAM production, which have made it a technology leader in chipmaking," said Dr. Igor Khandros, CEO of FormFactor. "Infineon's licensing of FormFactor's wafer-level process technology shows their leadership and determination to aggressively implement Moore's law-type cost reductions in the test and packaging area of chip manufacturing. We are very pleased with Infineon's decision to invest in FormFactor, which demonstrates their confidence in our approach to wafer-level back-end technology."

For DRAM manufacturers, FormFactor's wafer-level package and whole-wafer test approach simultaneously solves several problems traditionally associated with CSP and with wafer-level test. The largest roadblock to wafer-level burn-in and test has been achieving high-reliability electrical contact across an entire wafer. FormFactor's MicroSpring contact solves this problem, and is unique in that the MicroSpring contact is used sequentially as both the temporary flexible test interface and ultimately as the package lead for die assembly.

The FormFactor solution offers significant potential benefits to semiconductor manufacturers, system integrators and OEMs. The CSP using bare die with MicroSpring contacts is expected to be cost-competitive with standard memory TSOPs (thin, small outline packages) and offers cost reductions during wafer-level burn-in, test, and handling. The MicroSpring contact technology with bare die also offers the potential for better electrical performance, smaller product size, and higher reliability.

FormFactor licenses its wafer-level back-end technology to semiconductor manufacturers as well as packaging and test contract service providers. FormFactor is also the industry's leading manufacturer of test consumable products; including wafer sort probe cards, final-test probe cards, and wafer-level contactors.

About FormFactor

FormFactor is the world's leading supplier of wafer-level packaging processes and of wafer-level test consumables to the semiconductor industry. With over 125 key technology patents issued or pending, the company was recently named by Red Herring magazine as "One of the 100 Most Important Companies in the World." FormFactor's MicroSpring contact technology was inducted into the Smithsonian Museum's Year 2000 permanent collection. Privately held FormFactor is headquartered in Livermore, California. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.formfactor.com.