Suss MicroTec AG, a Munich, Germany-based supplier of precision manufacturing and test equipment, announced today that the University of Juarez (UACJ), Mexico, has selected its advanced wafer bonding equipment for use in its research laboratory. It will use Suss’s SB6e semiautomated wafer bonder, BA6 bond aligner and FC150 device bonder to develop and advance MEMS prototyping processes in Mexico. “Packaging and test are critical steps for MEMS devices, since much of the product cost is associated with these two operations,” said Michael Kipp, president of Suss MicroTec's Wafer Bonder Div., in Waterbury, Vt. Suss MicroTec offers advanced wafer-bonding solutions for the MEMS, SOI, 3-D interconnect and optoelectronic markets. Jose Mireles, Professor at UACJ, said, “The SUSS products are key acquisitions for our laboratory. By providing precision wafer bonding processing technology in a semi-automatic format, the SB6e bonder is the perfect solution for engaging in research and at the same time facilitating technology transfer to a full-scale production setting. Also, the FC150 device bonder versatility for flip chip and MEMS bonding is ideal for research in today’s hybrid packaging. We thank the funding from the Economy Minister of Mexico, as well as the support for pushing the MEMS Technology initiative in Mexico by the Mexico-US Foundation for Science.”  UACJ is a member of the Paso del Norte Regional MEMS Cluster.