UNITIVE DEVELOPS POLYIMIDE TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION.

Unitive, Inc., a worldwide provider of wafer-level packaging solutions, has developed a novel process of applying a new spun-on polymer coating technology that permits further reductions in the size of integrated circuits while improving performance and enables dramatic increases in WLCSP reliability.

A typical single-layer polyimide coating is often used today as a stress buffer for wire bond, flip chip and ball load packaging solutions; however, Unitive has developed a process of stacking polyimide layers and integrates the material with thick-plated copper.

"The customer gets far more design flexibility for chip integration," said Dan Mis, Unitive's vice president of technology integration. "This new polyimide technology application allows chip designers to integrate more technology at the wafer level, on a smaller footprint and with exceptional performance and reliability."

Market forces driving this technology innovation, for example, include wireless phones, PDAs and other portable devices that are able to perform increasingly complex functions. The electronic subsystems enabling this performance must be integrated with ever increasing functionality, perform with greater reliability and in the same or smaller space.

Unitive opened a new Die Level Processing (DLP) facility in the United States representing the industry's most advanced turnkey chip scale packaging capability. Integrated services include design, wafer bumping, multi-layer redistribution, backgrind, dicing, probe, tape and reel, backside laminate, backside metallization and laser marking.

Earlier this year, the company announced that it had developed and qualified the industry's first electroplated lead-free wafer bumping technology. Unitive's SnAg lead-free solution will enable customers to replace eutectic solder with lead-free solder and meet the global requirements to remove lead from electronics products.

Last year Unitive introduced the world's first independent 300mm electroplated wafer bumping production line at its Hsinchu, Taiwan manufacturing facility.

About Unitive

A provider of wafer-level packaging, Unitive is dedicated to making semiconductors smaller, faster and lighter. With manufacturing facilities in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and Hsinchu, Taiwan, Unitive partners with customers to meet their specific needs through deployment of technologies, designed to speed time-to-market and lower costs. Unitive services include multi-level passivation and thin film wiring, solder bumping and chip scale packaging. The company's strategic partners include Onex, one of Canada's leading financial corporations, and industry pioneers Celestica, Conexant, Fairchild Semiconductor and Flextronics.

Unitive can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.unitive.com/

For information call 919/459-1232.