Piezo-based vibration isolation advances nanolithography


STACIS actuators supporting a photolithography scanner’s isolation platform
So many of today's essential technological wonders would be impossible without the semiconductor industry's relentless and decades-long advancements in production techniques and capabilities. Today's powerful microprocessors and digital signal processors gain their capabilities and affordability from manufacturers' ability to repetitively and consistently replicate nanoscale structures with high yield using optical lithography. In addition to controlling the alignment and position of silicon wafers throughout their processing cycle, the machinery must be isolated from ambient vibrations from machinery, roadways, natural seismicity and even people walking around.

TMC has led the industry in leveraging the ability of piezoelectric actuators to achieve nanoscale stabilities which enable the next generations of nano-lithography. In an article in Semiconductor International, this capability is described, along with critical reliability advancements which ensure that semiconductor fabs can consistently and economically crank out the products our modern lives depend on.

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