ST and Soitec Join Forces in BSI Push

ST and Soitec announced an exclusive joint cooperation between the two companies that will lead to the development of 300mm wafer-level BSI technology for next-generation image sensors in consumer products. The agreement between the two companies includes the licensing by Soitec to ST of the Smart Stacking™ bonding technology for the manufacturing of backside-illumination sensors on 300mm wafers. This technology, developed by Soitec’s Tracit business unit, leverages molecular bonding, and mechanical, as well as chemical thinning. ST will develop a new generation of image sensors based on its advanced derivative-CMOS process technology at 65nm and beyond, at its 300mm facility in Crolles, France.