To assist customers in one-stop integration to the BGBM process, iST’s Front-side Metallization Process (FSM) is offering Chemical / Electro-less Plating service on top of Sputtering Deposition beginning this month. The post-installation test was successful and small scale mass production is underway for customers.

According to iST, it is one of very few service providers capable of offering a full range of service covering both Chemical Plating and Sputtering Deposition FSM processes along with BGBM.

Thanks to its reliable quality, Sputtering Deposition has been the ideal FSM process, and is widely adopted by automotive and industrial electronics brands pursuing high quality. iST is now certified by multiple global brands and running with steady production.

In spite of most automotive and industrial electronics brands' preference of Sputtering Deposition over FSM, more industries, including upmarket PCs, servers, and consumer electronics, are looking forward to the highly cost-effective Chemical Plating for FSM.

Sputtering Deposition and Chemical Plating now accounts for roughly the same 50% share of market demand with Chemical Plating slightly edging out Sputtering Deposition due to the former's high cost-effect ratio, though very few local suppliers are capable of executing wafer Chemical Plating now according to Mr. Tony Liu, Director of Surface Process Engineering Division, iST.

He adds that iST Chemical Plating service has been running since August with couple of customers in trial run now. In terms of technology, iST is able to take care of Al pads of different types. That is, regardless top metals employed by the foundry for front operation, including pure Al, AlCu, and AlSiCu, iST can grow stably Ni, Pd, and Au after front processing. iST equipment features an online monitoring system to control the critical factors of Ni concentration and PH value, auto plating solution replenishing mechanism, and smart supervision and control systems to maintain stable process operation.

iST is confident that the undersupply of Chemical Plating now on the market will be improved after the launch of Chemical Plating this month.

iST further noted that combining the Chemical Plating production line with the existing Sputtering Deposition and BGBM ones, as well as connecting it with DPS (Die Processing Service) by ITS, and backend test production line is enabling iST to complete the entire process in iST's Hsinchu Science Park Plant 2. With this service by iST, our clients may receive products in the form of die directly without risking damage caused by transporting wafers among individual service providers. That is, our clients can now be rid of the nightmares of releasing orders to multiple suppliers and bearing the burden of integration on their own.