Tech company IBM and the EV Group (EVG), a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology, and semiconductor markets, have signed a license agreement for laser debonding technology. EVG plans to integrate IBM’s patented Hybrid Laser Release process into its temporary bonding and debonding equipment solutions to provide high-volume manufacturers with the flexibility to implement optimized process flows. "This agreement with IBM enables EVG to provide a comprehensive and flexible technology offering to our high-volume production customers that can enable them to produce value-added devices at greater flexibility, throughput and cost efficiency," said Markus Wimplinger, corporate technology development and IP director for EVG. The resulting advanced laser debonding solution encompasses methods and designs for UV and IR laser debonding designed to enable the use of glass or silicon carriers and inspection of the bond interfaces. The solution features techniques to help protect chips from heat and laser damage, and chemical clean technologies for device and carrier wafers. "The laser debonding technology using glass or silicon carrier wafers can provide prototyping through high throughput manufacturing efficiency, a low cost of ownership and a miniaturization platform,” said John Knickerbocker, manager of microsystems technology and solutions at IBM Research. “A growing range of fabrication demonstrations and applications supported include mobile phones, health care and Internet of Things microsystems, sensors and miniaturized size components handling, biosensors, biochips, diagnostics systems and artificial intelligence solutions.”