Singapore, 24 February 2010 - The Institute of Microelectronics (IME) today announced its
collaborative partnership with Singapore’s semiconductor industry supply chain vendors to
support the research and development of 3-Dimensional (3D) Through-Silicon Via (TSV)
Consortium. Key materials providers of the semiconductor industry joined hands with IME
and members of the Consortium in the development of a cost-effective TSV process
integration and manufacturing capability on 300mm wafers. Supporting companies include
3MTM, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., Brewer Science Inc., HD Microsystems, Hitachi Chemical
Co., Ltd., Nagase & Co., Ltd., Namics Corporation, Nitto Denko (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., OM
Group Ultra Pure Chemicals, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., Shanghai Sinyang
Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., The Dow Chemical
Company and Thin Materials AG.

The 3D TSV Consortium, launched in September 2009 and supported by the Singapore
Economic Development Board (EDB) and A*STAR, is to boost 300mm wafer
manufacturing capability for Singapore’s semiconductor industry. Members of the
Consortium include GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd., STATS ChipPAC Ltd. and
United Test and Assembly Center Ltd.

The collaborative approach between the supporting companies and the 3D TSV
Consortium is to leverage on each other’s unique expertise to co-develop materials
required for TSV processes, thin wafer handling and packaging assembly process. The
concerted effort will shorten development cycle time and establish an implementable 3D
TSV packaging process and design guidelines for industry adoption of 3D TSV. Materials
under evaluation by the development team include plating chemicals for TSV filling,
chemical-mechanical planarisation (CMP) slurries, sacrificial bonding materials for thin
wafer processing and handling, low curing temperature dielectric materials, adhesives for
fine-gap and fine-pitch die/wafer-level filling and wafer level encapsulants.

Professor Dim-Lee Kwong, Executive Director of IME, said “The 3D TSV Consortium
provides an ideal platform to integrate key companies across Singapore’s semiconductor
supply chain to co-develop next generation technology. As the semiconductor industry is
continually driving down total manufacturing cost, being able to interactively work with
materials providers and end users on product requirements and development eliminates
costly development oversights. This strategic collaborative partnership reduces the
development cycle time, manufacturing cost and risk involved. This harmonisation creates
win-win partnerships that will enhance the competitiveness of Singapore’s semiconductor
industry.”

Mr. Damian Chan, Director Electronics, EDB, said “3D TSV is a critical technology that will
enable the continued miniaturisation, performance enhancement and energy efficiency of
electronics devices such as smart phones, notebooks and e-readers. The participation of
these leading materials providers will further increase the depth of 3D TSV Consortium. It
will build on the strength of the Singapore semiconductor ecosystem, wherein Singapore’s
semiconductor output share of global semiconductor revenues has almost doubled from
about 6% in 2001 to 11% in 2008.”

IME is leading Phase 1 of the Consortium with the goal to establish TSV design and
processes for 200mm and 300mm TSV wafers 3D IC assembly, and train a pool of skilled
personnel in the semiconductor supply chain companies to support manufacturing of new
products with 3D TSVs. Phase 2 will demonstrate the integration of fully functional mobile
devices with TSV on a 300mm wafer process line.
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About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for
fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and
innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical
sciences and engineering research institutes, and seven consortia & centre, which are
located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and
industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the
universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

About the Institute of Microelectronics (IME)
The Institute of Microelectronics (IME) is a research institute of the Science and
Engineering Research Council of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research
(A*STAR). Positioned to bridge the R&D between academia and industry, IME's mission is
to add value to Singapore's semiconductor industry by developing strategic competencies,
innovative technologies and intellectual property; enabling enterprises to be
technologically competitive; and cultivating a technology talent pool to inject new
knowledge to the industry. Its key research areas are in integrated circuits design,
advanced packaging, bioelectronics and medical devices, MEMS, nanoelectronics, and
photonics. For more information, visit IME on the Internet: http://www.ime.a-star.edu.sg.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Tan Su-Lynn
Marketing & Communications
Institute of Microelectronics
DID: +65-6770 5375
Email: tansl@ime.a-star.edu.sg