Trend


Can 3D printing help the global semiconductor shortage?


By Scott Green, Principal Solutions Leader, 3D Systems O


ver the last 18 months we’ve witnessed the pandemic upend businesses and lives globally. One area acutely impacted is


supply chains, with an unexpected side effect of a global shortage of semiconductors. It’s a complex issue – fixing it isn’t as easy as simply increasing manufacturing capacity. To increase production, semiconductor fabrication plants need to install new production lines, which requires new equipment and tools that are also complex and expensive. In addition, product development cycles are long, taking up to nine months, making it difficult for capital equipment manufacturers to repurpose production lines to meet unexpected demand.


Innovating with additive manufacturing Traditional manufacturing workflows are hampered by several limitations. If a manufacturer needs to surge order a part, it may require more than one supplier. The overhead required to set up an additional supplier is prohibitive. Additionally, traditional product development workflows are lengthy and cumbersome due to the need for tooling. Additive manufacturing (AM) – often


referred to as “3D printing” – removes these limitations, enabling freedom of design and a seamless transition from prototyping to low-volume production of bespoke parts. Here are at least three application


areas where AM has demonstrated advantages for equipment manufacturers.


Wafer table thermal management Better thermal management of critical semiconductor equipment components,


such as wafer tables, can improve semiconductor equipment accuracy by 1–2nm and at the same time improve speed and throughput. Increased machine speed and uptime leads to more wafers processed and higher overall lifecycle value. During lithography, regulating


temperatures within milliKelvins (mK) is critical, since any system disturbance has an impact. By applying the Design for Additive Manufacturing approach, it’s possible to optimise internal cooling channels and surface patterns, dramatically improving surface temperatures and thermal gradients whilst limiting time constants. A large semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer using AM to produce its wafer tables realised an 83% decrease in ΔT (13.8-2.3mK), and a 5x reduction in time to wafer stabilisation. Another benefit of using AM to produce


wafer tables is structural optimisation, and tables with reduced part counts and assemblies. Producing parts using traditional technologies relies on brazing parts together, a lengthy, low-yield process with a 50% rejection rate. Replacing multipart assemblies with monolithic additively-manufactured parts increases reliability, improves manufacturing yield and reduces labour costs.


Optimising manifold fluid flow Using traditional manufacturing processes to produce complex fluid manifolds results in large, heavy parts that have non-optimal fluid flow due to abrupt transitions between components and channels with sharp angles that lead to disturbance, pressure drops, stagnant zones and leakage. When AM is employed to produce the


same manifolds, engineers can optimise their designs to reduce pressure drop, mechanical disturbances and vibration.


04 July/August 2021 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


A 90% reduction in flow-induced disturbance forces reduces system vibration and realises a 1–2nm accuracy improvement.


Structural optimisation and advanced flexures Additive manufacturing gives designers the flexibility to optimise the structural topology of their parts (i.e., lightweighting) with a suite of high-strength metal alloys. These designs can more precisely meet the performance requirements of semiconductor production equipment, improve strength-to-weight ratio, and deliver a faster time to market. Lightweighting semiconductor components and advanced motion mechanisms reduces inertia and improves lithography and wafer processing machine speed and uptime, leading to more wafers processed. In one example, a semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer used AM and achieved greater than 50% weight reduction in flexures, 23% higher resonant frequency and reduced system vibration.


Limitless opportunities Additive manufacturing – specifically direct metal printing – is a recognised, validated technology in the semiconductor capital equipment industry. The pressures within the market for optimisation, the demand for more equipment and other production barriers are driving a rapid movement towards additive manufacturing. AM enables equipment manufacturers to rethink what is possible and push the boundaries – presenting a tremendous opportunity to overcome the semiconductor shortage, and further strengthen the supply chains.


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