Wafer Level Technology

Our wafer-level process technology enables us to manufacture thousands of highly accurate advanced micro-optics products on a single wafer with very high yields. The benefits of our process technology includes economies of scale, fast ramp to high production volumes, high level of integration and precise location of micro-structures.

We have developed a proprietary wafer-level replication process. The following graphic depicts the six fundamental steps in our wafer-level replication process:

Wafer Level Technology

We begin our wafer-level replication process by precisely dispensing droplets of application-specific liquid polymer onto a wafer. We then emboss the polymer with our customized mold. We cure the polymer on the wafer using ultraviolet light to harden it. We then separate the wafer from the mold. This process is then repeated on the other side of the wafer with micro-meter alignment accuracy. To enable higher imaging performance and complexity, we then stack the replicated wafers using spacers and then dice the stacked wafer into individual micro-optics structures, resulting on average in thousands of structures per wafer.

Reflowable

All replicated elements that pass through Heptagon's wafer-level UV curing process are reflowable, withstanding heat processes of up to 260°C. That means that application of our lenses onto a mobile phone or other electronics product can be directly integrated into the assembly line process.

They also pass all the GR-468 CORE environmental tests: thermal cycling of 1000 times between -40°C and +85°C, and 1000 hours at +85°C temperature and 85% relative humidity.