SAL MicroFab
We combine state-of-the-art cleanroom infrastructure with research excellence to accelerate the journey from concept to market-ready product.
Advanced microfabrication for specialty devices
At Silicon Austria Labs (SAL), the SAL MicroFab in Villach combines flexible micro- and nanofabrication R&D with an advanced 200 mm wafer-processing environment, supporting process development, characterization and wafer-level heterogeneous integration.
We support the development of micro(opto)electromechanical systems (M(O)EMS), integrated photonics, quantum chips and next-generation wafer-level technologies - from early process development and prototyping towards stable, repeatable and transferable processes.
Advanced thin-film technologies form a common fabrication backbone across SAL's integrated photonics, PiezoMEMS, magnetic microsystems and quantum-chip activities, complemented by heterogeneous integration capabilities that extend wafer-level fabrication towards assembly, packaging and system-level integration.
What we can support
SAL MicroFab supports technology development across individual process steps as well as integrated process flows - from material and device development to integrated wafer-level fabrication, characterization and heterogeneous integration.
Our capabilities can support:
- Development and adaptation of fabrication processes
- Development of functional materials and thin-film stacks
- MEMS, photonic, quantum and other specialty-device fabrication
- Multi-step and multilayer process flows
- Process characterization, control and optimization
- Wafer-level and heterogeneous integration
- Assembly and packaging
- Transition from prototypes towards stable and repeatable processes
- Preparation for pilot-scale process validation and industrial technology transfer
This allows technology development to be addressed within one coordinated fabrication environment, while enabling direct feedback between processing, characterization and integration.
Cleanroom Infrastructure
The 1.400 m² SAL MicroFab provides complementary cleanroom environments for flexible R&D, process development and repeatable 200 mm wafer-level processing.
Our infrastructure offers:
- Cleanroom environments in ISO classes 4–6
- Advanced wafer processing capabilities for substrates up to 200 mm
- Controlled processing of a broad range of semiconductor, photonic, piezoelectric, magnetic, metallic and dielectric material systems
- Flexible manual, semi-automated and automated equipment for research, prototyping and repeatable process development
- Integrated fabrication, metrology, characterization, assembly and backend capabilities
- Infrastructure supporting the transition from early R&D towards pilot-scale process validation and industrial technology transfer
By combining flexible R&D infrastructure with repeatable wafer-level processing, SAL enables rapid design-fabrication-test cycles and supports technology development from proof-of-concept through pilot-scale process validation towards stable, repeatable and transferable manufacturing processes.
Process Capabilities
SAL provides an integrated process portfolio covering the development chain from high-resolution patterning and advanced material processing to metrology, wafer-level integration, assembly and packaging.
Lithography
Our lithography capabilities support precise micro- and nanoscale structures as well as complex multilayer device architectures.
Key capabilities include:
- High-resolution patterning
- E-beam lithography for nanoscale patterning
- Optical lithography, including mask-based and maskless exposure
- Nanoimprint lithography
- Multi-layer alignment, including backside alignment
- Full resist processing, including spin and spray coating, development and stripping
- 200 mm DUV stepper lithography
Together, these technologies cover a wide range of critical dimensions, from the nanometer scale to structures of several hundred micrometers. This supports fine-feature MEMS and microstructures, integrated photonic and quantum-device layouts, complex multilayer process flows and scalable wafer-level pattern transfer.
Dry Etch
Our dry-etch portfolio enables precise and anisotropic structuring across semiconductor, dielectric, metallic, piezoelectric, photonic and other functional materials and device architectures.
Key capabilities include:
- Broad material compatibility
- Anisotropic plasma etching
- Reactive Ion Etching and ICP-RIE
- Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
- Ion Beam Etching and advanced etching techniques
- Plasma-based surface treatment and resist stripping
The available processes support applications ranging from high-aspect-ratio MEMS structures to precision pattern transfer in TFLN, dielectric, metallic, piezoelectric and other photonic material systems.
Deposition
SAL offers a broad thin-film deposition portfolio for the development of functional and multilayer material stacks across photonic, piezoelectric, magnetic and quantum-device applications.
Key capabilities include:
- PVD, including sputtering and evaporation
- CVD processes, including PECVD
- ALD
- Deposition of metals, dielectrics, piezoelectric, magnetic and other functional materials
- Controlled film thickness and uniformity
- Conformal coating of complex structures
Thermal Processing
Wet Processing, Electrochemical Processing & Planarization
Our wet-processing infrastructure supports selective material removal, cleaning, surface conditioning, electrochemical deposition and planarization throughout the fabrication process.
Key capabilities include:
- Acidic and basic etch chemistries
- Isotropic and crystallographic wet etching
- Resist development, stripping, cleaning and lift-off
- Solvent-based wet processing
- Vapor HF
- Electroplating (ECD)
- Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP)
These processes complement dry fabrication steps and enable controlled surface preparation, planarization and material removal for complex device structures.
Metrology & Characterization
Comprehensive metrology and characterization capabilities support process development, process control and device validation throughout the fabrication cycle, enabling rapid feedback between fabrication and measurement.
Key capabilities include:
- Electron microscopy and structural analysis
- Electrical characterization, mapping and process monitoring
- Stress, wafer bow and mechanical analysis
- Optical and photonic characterization
- Functional device characterization
- Surface morphology, topography and thin-film characterization
- Dimensional metrology, process control and defect inspection
- Reliability testing and failure analysis
The combination of fabrication and characterization enables rapid fabricate-measure-optimize cycles, improving process reproducibility, performance and device quality.
Wafer-Level & Heterogeneous Integration
SAL extends the process chain through wafer bonding, backend processing, die-level integration, micro-assembly and packaging technologies for heterogeneous and system-level integration.
Key capabilities include:
- Backend processing, including metallization, bumping, passivation and dicing
- Wafer bonding and debonding
- Die bonding
- Interconnect technologies
- Micro-assembly technologies
- Two-photon polymerization and 2PP printing
- Photonic assembly
- Discrete, module- and system-level packaging
- Advanced wafer-level packaging and heterogeneous integration
Wafer bonding capabilities include anodic, thermocompression, eutectic, glass-frit, adhesive and direct bonding approaches.
Micro-assembly capabilities include technologies such as flip-chip and chip-level assembly, while photonic assembly supports the precise integration of optical and optoelectronic components as well as two-photon printing of optical elements.
These capabilities enable electrical and optical interconnects, precise multi-component assembly, custom three-dimensional structures and the integration of separately manufactured components into compact, high-performance systems.
These heterogeneous integration activities are complemented by SAL-wide chip-to-package and multiphysics simulation as well as failure analysis and characterization, enabling packaging concepts to be assessed and optimized from component to system level.
From Research to Industrially Transferable Technologies
SAL MicroFab is designed to bridge the gap between research and industrial application through repeatable process development and pilot-scale validation.
By combining process development, fabrication, characterization and integration within a coordinated environment, we support:
- Rapid in-house design–fabrication–test cycles
- Development and validation of new materials, devices and process flows
- Reduced R&D risk through early process and device verification
- Development from component to integrated system level
- Transition from research prototypes towards stable and repeatable processes
Whether developing a new functional material stack, PiezoMEMS device, integrated photonics platform, quantum chip, magnetic microsystem or heterogeneous integration concept, SAL provides the infrastructure and expertise to support the next stage of technology development.
Interested in developing your technology with SAL? Get in touch with our experts to discuss your requirements and possible cooperation.
Get in touch:
8010 Graz, Austria
+43 664 88 964 965
9524 Villach, Austria
