Semiconductor Industry

Semiconductor devices require a considerable amount of precision ceramic components. Ceramics are suitable for use as components in devices like silicon wafer polishing machines, heat treatment equipment such as epitaxy, oxidation and diffusion, lithography machines, deposition equipment, semiconductor etching equipment, and ion implanter, thanks to their advantages of high hardness, high elastic modulus, high wear resistance, high insulation, corrosion resistance, and low expansion. Semiconductor ceramics include alumina, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide. Precision ceramics account for approximately 16% of the value in semiconductor equipment.

1. Alumina (Al2O3)

Alumina is the most commonly used precision ceramic material in semiconductor equipment. It finds extensive applications in semiconductor equipment due to its benefits of stable material structure, high mechanical strength, high hardness, high melting point, corrosion resistance, excellent chemical stability, high resistivity, and excellent electrical insulating properties.

The main source of wafer contamination in semiconductor etching equipment is the chamber material of the etching machine, and the effect of plasma etching on it determines the yield, quality, stability of the etching process of the wafer. As a result, choosing the right material for the etching machine chamber is crucial. Currently, high-purity alumina ceramics are primarily employed as protective materials for etching chambers and the components inside of them. In addition to the cavity, alumina ceramics are also utilized in the gas injector or nozzle, gas distribution plate, deposition rings, lift pins, feed-throughs, wafer clamp of the plasma equipment.

End Effectors

In the handling of silicon wafers, the robot's hand made of alumina ceramics will be used. Alumina ceramics and silicon carbide ceramics both exhibit physical properties such as compactness, high hardness, and wear resistance, as well as exceptional heat resistance, good mechanical strength, excellent insulation and corrosion resistance in high temperature conditions, making them desirable materials for manufacturing the robot's hand of semiconductor equipment. In terms of material properties, silicon carbide ceramics are more suited for making the robot's hand, while alumina ceramic robot's hand is more cost-effective when considering material cost, processing difficulty, and other economic aspects.

In addition, alumina ceramics are extensively used in the wafer polishing process for polishing pads, polishing pad correction platforms, vacuum chucks, etc.

2. Silicon carbide (SiC)

Silicon carbide has the properties of high thermal conductivity, great mechanical strength at high temperatures, high stiffness, low thermal expansion coefficient, excellent thermal uniformity, and resistance to wear and corrosion. Silicon carbide maintains its strength at extreme temperatures as high as 1400℃. The silicon carbide ceramic grinding disc has low wear as a result of its high hardness, and its thermal expansion coefficient is comparable to that of silicon wafers, allowing it to be grinded and polished at high speed.

Silicon Carbide Wafer Tray For Etching

High-temperature heat treatment is necessary for silicon wafer manufacturing, and silicon carbide fixtures are frequently employed for transporting. It resists heat, causes no damage, and can be surface-coated with diamond-like carbon (DLC) and other coatings to improve performance, reduce wafer damage, as well as prevent contamination from spreading. Additionally, silicon carbide ceramics also find applications in XY platforms, pedestals, focus rings, polishing plates, wafer chucks, vacuum chucks, end effectors, furnace tubes, crystal growth crucibles, cantilever paddles, etc.

3. Aluminum nitride (AIN)

High-purity aluminum nitride ceramics provide superior thermal conductivity, heat resistance, great insulation, a thermal expansion coefficient close to silicon, exceptional resistance to plasma, and uniform heat distribution of products. They can be used for electrostatic chuck and heater plate for heating wafers.

4. Silicon nitride (Si3N4)

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a material features high fracture toughness, strong resistance to thermal shock, high resistance to wear, high mechanical strength, and is corrosion-resistant. It can be used on components of semiconductor devices like platforms and bearings.