Wilmington, Mass. (January 15, 2019)—Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: RTEC) announced today that it has received orders for over $15 million of legacy and new process control systems from a memory manufacturer based in Asia. The systems will be used by a top-tier memory chip maker as they rapidly transition high-end DRAM (DDR4, DDR5) and HBM DRAM packaging from wire bonding to advanced packaging architectures. The shift from wire bonding is needed to achieve higher data speeds, superior power distribution and thermal properties using copper pillars, micro-bumps, and through silicon vias (TSVs) for stacked chip-to-chip interconnects.
Delivery of systems will be completed by the end of the first quarter, with additional orders expected throughout 2019 as memory manufacturers transition their high-speed DRAM from wire-bonded architecture to advanced packaging.
“Rudolph began working with our customers’ R&D teams nearly ten years ago to develop 2D/3D measurements of the emerging copper bump process. That long-term customer engagement has resulted in systems and software that we believe to be the industry standard for advanced packaging metrology,” stated Cleon Chan, vice president of global field operations at Rudolph. “Stacking die using TSVs and micro-bumps for HBM DRAM packages requires precise control of the copper features that will ultimately make the electrical connections between the stacked memory chips and the logic chip in the same package. After significant development in the package and the process control methods, these devices are now beginning high-volume manufacturing, which is being driven by the data speed and capacity demands from big data servers and graphics applications. These new, non-wire bonded memory architectures are creating a very healthy demand for our back-end process control systems. This customer is also using Rudolph systems for post-saw film-frame inspection looking for package defects.”
A combination of Rudolph’s 2D/3D inspection systems and metal metrology systems provide a total process control solution to help assure that height, diameter, location, and coplanarity of copper micro-bumps, pillar bumps, and TSVs are precisely controlled. After the packages are molded and separated by sawing, additional Rudolph inspection systems provide outgoing quality checks for sidewall delamination and/or hairline cracks, which are considered killer defects for advanced memory packages.
About Rudolph Technologies
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. is a leader in the design, development, manufacture, and support of defect inspection, lithography, process control metrology, and process control software used by semiconductor and advanced packaging device manufacturers worldwide. Rudolph delivers comprehensive solutions throughout the fab with its families of proprietary products that provide critical yield-enhancing information, enabling microelectronic device manufacturers to drive down costs and time to market of their devices. Headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Rudolph supports its customers with a worldwide sales and service organization.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) which include the benefit to customers of Rudolph’s products, Rudolph’s business momentum and future growth and the market demand for semiconductors generally as well as other matters that are not purely historical data. Rudolph wishes to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provided for by the Act and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rudolph’s control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, Rudolph’s ability to plan and manage its resources and production capability, including its supply chain and fluctuations in customer capital spending. Additional information and considerations regarding the risks faced by Rudolph are available in Rudolph’s Form 10-K report for the year ended December 31, 2017 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As the forward-looking statements are based on Rudolph’s current expectations, the company cannot guarantee any related future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Rudolph does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
