Siconnex Surface Preparation Equipment and Processes for the Semiconductor Industry

Siconnex provides surface preparation equipment and processes, including wet batch wafer spray and single wafer spray systems for the III-V semiconductor, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), wireless, power, energy harvesting, wafer-level package (WLP), data storage and logic industries.

Our technologies help to make innovations, such as smartphones, solar panels and power electronics, more affordable and accessible to consumers and businesses around the world.

Siconnex systems are leading the way when an extremely small footprint, safety, full automation, high output and economical resource consumption is important.

Batch wafer spray

Hazardous wet chemical cleaning and etching tasks are performed safely and efficiently within a completely closed system. All processes from chemical to final rinsing and drying are fully automated, ensuring repeatable processes and uniformities even below 1%. Our batch wafer spray systems support a wide range of applications, from mass production to R&D and prototyping.

The process chemicals are stored and heated / cooled in a closed compartment, then sprayed into a closed process chamber via a pump and filter. Various nozzles ensure a uniform spray pattern. Wafers rotate during chemical spraying to ensure the best results with regard to uniformity. The chemicals can either be re-circulated or used once.

The process chamber houses either one carrier with 25 wafers or two carriers of up to 50 wafers. This batch wafer spray technology reduces the relevant cost of ownership figures by 80% compared with a wet bench.

Batch wafer spray can be used for a variety of applications, including:

• Metal etching
• Cleaning
• Polymer removal
• Post ash clean
• Resist stripping (SicOzone TM, SPM)
• Combined wet processes (dry in, dry out)

Single wafer spray

Single wafer technology is used whenever the complexity of processing requires features, such as back or front side protection, high pressure spray or megasonic clean. With a maximum of six chambers (2 x 3- stacked chamber design), the vertical 200 platform achieves a output of up to 140 wafers an hour.

The closed chamber design, with unique substrate face-down operation, eliminates the risk of wafer contamination. Even with an integrated chemical supply and conditioning system, the footprint is still below 4m².

Single wafer spray can be used for a variety of applications, including:

• Metal lift off
• Resist strip
• Polymer removal
• Megasonic / high pressure clean