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Functional Surface Creation Lab
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The lab studies bonding, polishing, and plating for stacking and connecting semiconductor chips in 3D.
AboutAbout the lab
Connecting future chips in 3D
The Functional Surface Creation Lab studies 3D integration technology, which is essential for next-generation semiconductors.
Centered on back-end process technology for semiconductors, the lab works on bonding to connect chips, polishing to finish surfaces, and plating for interconnects.
Although it does semiconductor research, it is not an electrical and electronic engineering lab; it studies the mechanical engineering used in semiconductor manufacturing.
A university can study only part of the process, so the lab aims for practical application through joint research with companies.
Key terms
- Hybrid bonding
- A method that bonds insulating films to each other and metals to each other simultaneously in a single bonding step. The surfaces are activated with plasma before bonding
- Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)
- A process that polishes and finishes wafers using the chemical action of a slurry containing abrasive particles and the physical action of a polishing pad
- Chiplet
- An approach to semiconductor design and manufacturing in which each function is made as a separate chip, then assembled and connected by wiring later
NewsLab news
Discovery of the bonding mechanism between "self-activating" material thin films, press release
A student received the Impact Poster Award at Jisso Festa Kansai 2025
Demonstration of a new film and bonding process that contribute to energy savings in next-generation 3D semiconductor devices
A student received the Outstanding Paper Award from the Mazak Foundation
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies back-end process technology toward "3D heterogeneous devices," in which various devices such as memory, sensors, and optical devices are combined and operated together. Based on the idea of assembling and connecting chiplets made for each required function, it covers bonding, polishing, plating, and strength measurement.
*Illustrative imageHybrid Bonding
Among bonding technologies for stacking heterogeneous devices, the lab studies hybrid bonding, which bonds insulating films and metals at once. In addition to plating, CMP, and direct bonding, it also covers pre-assembly technologies such as dicing.
*Illustrative imageChemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP)
Bonding accuracy depends greatly on the finish of the wafer surface. The lab addresses challenges in the process of planarizing Cu, Ta, and SiCN films through electrochemical measurement, cleaning, plasma activation, and actual polishing.
*Illustrative imageCu Plating Suited to Bonding
In hybrid bonding, the crystallinity and grain size of Cu are important, and the plating process determines them. Using new additives, the lab produces Cu films suited to bonding, which it calls "Designer Cu."
*Illustrative imageMeasuring Bond Strength
The lab also develops new methods for measuring and evaluating chiplets. It is advancing research toward international standardization of the DCB method, which measures strength by inserting a razor blade, and development of a die-level evaluation method using nanoindentation.
MembersFaculty
Functional Surface Creation Lab members consist of faculty, visiting faculty, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, lab assistants, project assistants, and managers.As of 2026
- ProfessorFumihiro Inoue
- Senior Distinguished ProfessorKazuyoshi Ueno
- Project ProfessorKoichiro Saga
- Assistant ProfessorMarie Sano
- Project Assistant ProfessorNyamjargal Ochirkhuyag
- Project Assistant ProfessorLa Thi Ngoc Mai
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP-108, conditioner)” cpxmn / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Hybrid Bonding: “B-ad-crosssectionbcb” Fraunhofer ENAS, D. Neumann / CC BY-SA 3.0 de (cropped)
- Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP): “IMaGe 31072R – Silicon Wafer 20120926” Rob Bulmahn / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Cu Plating Suited to Bonding: “Haring Cell” / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Measuring Bond Strength: “Dogbone for Tensile Testing Created in FreeCAD” Admazzeo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (先進メカトロニクス研究室): “Flexible heat flux sensor FHF04 by Hukseflux” Hukseflux TS / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (極限加工研究室): “Cutting Metal Pipe at Ridgid Tools” toolstop / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (熱エネルギー工学研究室): “Part of a heat exchanger in a cracking tower” W.carter / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (光微細加工研究室): “Stereolithography cycloidal drive” Clemenspool / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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