Alumina Ceramic Arm

Semicorex Alumina Ceramic Arm is a engineered component that is developed to the highest specifications for semiconductor applications. Made from high-purity alumina (Al₂O₃), it is a robotic arm that features a unique combination of mechanical strength, thermal stability and chemical resistance. The arm is not only designed to be used for wafer handling alone but also needs to provide process support in advanced fabrication sites. It also must ensure that wafers are being transferred, positioned and processed without contamination or damage; improving yields and reliability of the process.

Alumina is one of the technical ceramics that finds the widest use in the technical ceramic field. Alumina is known for its hardness, wear resistance, and stability in aggressive environments. For the objectives of the ceramic arm to manage wafer handling without introducing contamination, it can exploit the properties of alumina and deliver a much higher level of resistance to abrasion as a consequence of its high purity and particle size; therefore, it won't generate excessive particles during its repeated movements, either with wafers or with semiconductor substrates of any other kind.  The density and low porosity that it also hosts further limit the potential of particles breaking free, and ensures it meets the ultra-clean requirements of semiconductor development fabs without detracting from the cleanliness required for submicron device handling.

Alumina possesses exceptional thermal stability in addition to its mechanical strength. The Alumina Ceramic Arm can endure extreme process temperatures without warping, cracking, or losing strength. This property makes it ideal for incorporation into any process step that includes exposure to elevated temperatures, like diffusion, oxidation, or anneal steps. Wafers will have improved reliability for transfer in a challenging process environment as it retains mechanical integrity under thermal cycling.

Chemical resistance is another fundamental positive of the Alumina Ceramic Arm. In semiconductor manufacturing, treatments are often performed on wafers that include strong acids, alkalis, and other aggressive chemicals. While metallic components may corrode or leach impurities, alumina is chemically inert, which protects the integrity of both the arm and the wafers it handles. Therefore the inertness prolongs the lifespan of the component while reducing the possibility of contamination during critical process steps like wet cleaning or chemical vapor deposition.

The Alumina Ceramic Arm is designed with a focus on compatibility and precision. Each arm is made to tight dimensional tolerances, ensuring accurate wafer alignment and movement and compatibility with automated wafer handling equipment and robotic systems. The smooth, polished surface finish features a low friction interface with the wafer that reduces the chance of scratching the wafer, which is essential for wafer integrity/environmental cleanliness and defect rate reduction. These engineered tolerances ensure that the arm operates freely in a fast-paced high throughput environment and allows for both human and fully automated semiconductor workflows for the arm.

The Alumina Ceramic Arm reaches beyond just chemical and mechanical performance and impacts operating efficiency and cost savings on multiple levels. The proven durable nature of ceramic allows the arm to outperform composite materials like plastics or aluminum in terms of design longevity under repetitive mechanical loading, and therefore reduces the amount of operational downtime and/or replacement costs involved. The ability to withstand harsh environments includes environmental cleanliness, while also producing less manufacturing interruptions leading to improved consistent wafer production, i.e. yield, and ultimately less scrap leading to a higher ROI (return on investment) for semiconductor manufacturers.

The options for utilizing the Alumina Ceramic Arm for semiconductor processes are virtually endless - from moving wafers between wet benches, diffusion furnaces and deposition chambers to inspecting and metrology tools utilizing substrates. The versatility of this product not only allows it to be used for wafer handling applications, but further automation situations where accuracy, cleanliness and reliability is required are also feasible. The semiconductor industry is moving inexorably towards smaller nodes and increased complexity within device fabrication, and as the industry continues to demand better handling solutions that are reliable and non-contaminating, the ceramic robotic arm creates a clear path forward.