3D printing lightweight “wafer chuck” makes ASML lithography machine even better

Netherlands3D printingThe company-Additive Industries, Mi-Partners, TUDelft and ASML Research integrate the most advancedGenerative design, Advanced system control and large size metal3D printing, Additive manufacturing of the wafer chuck can increase the positioning speed and reduce the cost of the semiconductor industry.

Additive Industries

Make the “flying carpet” lighter

Additive manufacturing of movable artificial cervical spine

ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, occupies more than 80% of the world’s lithography machine market share. In 2019, ASML’s net sales were 11.82 billion euros. It was a joint venture established by Philips and ASMI in 1984. According to the market understanding of 3D Science Valley, the world’s most advanced EUV lithography machine with 7nm process is ASML-ASML. After the chip process is upgraded to 5nm, only the extreme ultraviolet lithography machine can meet the demand, and ASM is currently the only manufacturer in the world that can produce extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. EUV’s core technologies are concentrated in three areas: top light source (laser system), high-precision lens (objective lens system), and precision instrument manufacturing technology (workbench).

During the entire etching process, the wafer is fixed by the electrostatic chuck (ESC) in the bottom electrode system, and a radio frequency RF is passed to the electrostatic chuck, so that the radio frequency RF will form a DC bias (direct current bias) on the wafer . This promotes the etching reaction of the plasma to the wafer. At the same time, the electrostatic chuck controls the temperature of the wafer to promote the uniformity of wafer etching. The upper and lower parts of the electrostatic chuck are insulating layers, and the middle part is provided with an electrode layer. When a direct current voltage is applied to the electrode layer, different charges will appear on the electrode layer and the wafer, thereby generating Coulomb attraction between the electrode layer and the wafer, and the wafer is attracted to the surface of the electrostatic chuck.

The industry refers to the wafer stage in the ASML chip machine as a “flying carpet” because it is a floating platform that moves at lightning speed in a magnetic field. Each round of the robot will place a wafer on the platform. With the movement, the pattern on the chip is illuminated hundreds of times, and the accuracy is one-tenth that of a hair. For more than ten years, MI Partners engineering company has been committed to making the “flying carpet” better and lighter. This work began when MI Partners planned to expand the chip from 30 cm to 45 cm. This will make the wafer table large and heavy, so that it is difficult to move quickly, MI Partners engineering company’s task is to study how to make it as light as possible.

With Additive Industries joining the camp, the team recently produced the first two prototypes of this chuck. A 30% weight reduction has been achieved, and the platform weighs only about 8 kg. Additive Industries just announced itsThe latest 3D metal printerMetalFab-600, this printer makes the printing of large objects easier. The wafer chuck and other parts of the machine can be printed well with the equipment of Additive Industries.

This is done with financial support from the Dutch scientific research organization NWO, and the goal is always to reduce the force required to move the wafer stage. For ASML, the number of wafers that can be moved per hour is very important. The lighter the wafer stage, the easier the acceleration, and therefore the higher the productivity, which is of great value to ASML.Before this time, ASML already had3D printingexperience of. ASML pair3D printingThe trial started in the field of plastics, and now it is also starting to try in the metal.

Asia’s first large super metal3D printingThe machine MetalFAB1 settled in Jiangke Large-scale Decoration Institute in 2019, adding a new “artifact” to the school. The MetalFAB1 printing equipment of Additive Industries has obvious advantages. The printing production process is integrated, the degree of automation is high, and it is equipped with an advanced management system. The product manufacturing quality is good. In particular, the modular architecture design allows a device to use multiple materials at the same time. Improved production efficiency and expanded functional configuration.In November 2020, during the formnext exhibition, Additive Industries launched a new flagship modelMetalFAB-600.

MetalFAB-600 has a manufacturing size of 600x600mm and a height of 1000mm, which is one of the largest molding volumes in the industry. The build volume is 5 times larger than Additive Industries’ current MetalFAB1 (420x420x400 has been provided). Using 10 1kW lasers, MetalFAB-600 greatly improves the high productivity, and the deposition rate is as high as 1000cc/hour.

MetalFAB-600 is based on MetalFAB1’s knowledge and experience in stability and automation of key production processes. Automation is achieved from powder handling, alignment and calibration to ensure the highest yield. MetalFAB-600 aims to achieve the lowest cost of parts manufacturing, thereby replacing some high value-added casting and other processing techniques. MetalFAB-600 is very important to the development of the additive manufacturing industry. The larger build volume opens the door to more application fields and higher productivity.

The existing MetalFAB1 (420×420) will be further developed in terms of simplified operation and laser power. The large-scale platform of MetalFAB1 can not only manufacture large parts, but also manufacture small parts in batches, which will help further reduce costs.

(Editor in charge: admin)