FLANDERS, NJ- Rudolph Technologies Inc ., a provider of process characterization equipment and software for wafer fabs and advanced packaging facilities, is partnering with a semiconductor assembly and test services manufacturer Asia OSAT to provide its inspection and metrology capability in the development of stacked packaging processes. The process uses silicon interposer technology, sometimes referred to as 2.5D IC, as an intermediate step toward 3-D ICs.

"We are pleased to be partnering with one of the industry leaders in the development of stacked packaging 3-D IC technology," said Rajiv Roy, Rudolph's vice president of business development and director of back-end marketing. “The NSX(R) System will measure via depth, inspect for defects and provide 3-D metrology of solder bumps. Rudolph is collaborating with several leading-edge companies in the assembly and test sector, and we believe this effort will help to ensure the continued successful development of our NSX Systems for 3D IC applications."

Silicon interposer technology allows manufacturers to stack multiple chips to improve performance and increase the computing power in a small volume. It is particularly attractive to makers of cell phones and other handheld devices who must combine various chips with different functionality in a small space. The silicon interposer provides high density, short path signal routing between the stacked chips without requiring drastic changes in the design and manufacture of the chips themselves.