A rising force in domestic semiconductor precision equipment

Amid the global semiconductor industry's accelerating evolution towards high-end and intelligent technologies, Chinese domestic enterprises are breaking foreign technological monopolies through independent innovation and promoting the industry's self-reliance and control. Huzhou Primus Semiconductor Co., Ltd., as an innovation pioneer in the domestic semiconductor equipment sector, has since its establishment in 2023, focused on nanometer-level ultra-precision motion control technology. By taking core equipment such as precision motion stages, ceramic wafer forks, wafer loading systems, and wafer handling robots as its key points, it has built a complete set of precision solutions for the entire wafer processing process, injecting strong impetus into the rise of domestic semiconductor equipment. 

The core team of the company is composed of PhDs, masters and senior experts in the fields of optical information science and technology and precision manufacturing. They have been deeply engaged in the control of complex robot systems and ultra-precision manufacturing processing for many years. The company's headquarters is located in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, and its R&D and production base is situated in the Huishan Economic Development Zone, Wuxi. It has an independent factory covering nearly 10,000 square meters, equipped with a 2,000-square-meter advanced clean laboratory and a 1,000-square-meter ultra-precision processing workshop. The proportion of software and hardware technicians is as high as 60%, which has laid a solid foundation for product research and development, production and quality control. 

Precision motion stage: The "skeletal support" with nanometer-level accuracy 

If the wafer transfer system is the "neural network" of semiconductor manufacturing, then the precision motion stage is the "core skeleton" that achieves nanometer-level accuracy. Prim Semiconductor's nanometer-level ultra-high precision motion platform, equipped with self-developed air-floatation hydrostatic technology and nanometer interferometry feedback compensation system, has achieved a positioning accuracy of 50 nanometers and a repeat positioning accuracy of 35 nanometers. The new generation of products has further improved the positioning accuracy to within 30 nanometers, reaching the international advanced level. 

The design of a precision motion stage is a systematic project that requires consideration of multiple performance dimensions. In terms of structural design, a high-rigidity frame structure is adopted to effectively prevent vibration interference during the processing. The drive system selects high-precision servo motors to ensure the accuracy of motion control. The position feedback system is equipped with high-precision sensors to monitor and adjust the motion position in real time. The software control system uses efficient algorithms to guarantee the smoothness and accuracy of the motion process. These design details collectively support the ultra-high precision requirements in the wafer processing, providing a stable and reliable motion foundation for subsequent process steps. 

Ceramic Wafer Fork: The "Clean Messenger" for Wafer Handling 

In the demanding environment of semiconductor manufacturing, the wafer handling process has extremely high requirements for cleanliness and stability. Ceramic wafer forks are the key components that meet these demands. Semiconductor manipulators typically use a negative pressure suction method to attach wafers to the wafer forks, and complete the handling through extension, rotation, and lifting actions. The unique properties of ceramic materials make them the ideal choice for wafer forks. 

Prim Semiconductor's ceramic wafer forks are made of high-purity alumina ceramic material and possess multiple outstanding properties: high mechanical strength and hardness, capable of withstanding various stresses during handling; excellent chemical stability, leaving no contaminant particles or charged ions when in contact with wafers, thus avoiding damage to the wafers; resistance to high temperatures and corrosion, allowing stable operation in vacuum, high-temperature, and corrosive gas environments; and good insulation, suitable for special working conditions in semiconductor manufacturing. Compared with other materials, alumina ceramic also has a cost-performance advantage, with mature processing technology, effectively balancing performance and cost. 

Wafer Handling Robot: The "Speed Engine" for Production Line Efficiency 

Wafer transfer robots are key equipment connecting various process steps in the semiconductor industry, directly influencing the operational efficiency of production lines and product yield. Prim Semiconductor's wafer transfer robots integrate high-speed transmission and high-precision positioning technologies, achieving a high-speed transmission rate of 2000 millimeters per second and a repeat positioning accuracy of 0.1 millimeters. They are rock-solid during wafer grasping, movement, and placement, ensuring the smooth operation of production lines in both front-end etching and back-end packaging processes. 

Robotic arms are classified into vacuum robotic arms and atmospheric robotic arms, each suitable for different working environments: vacuum robotic arms operate in a vacuum environment of 10⁻⁵Pa, equipped with direct drive motors to avoid lubricating oil contamination, and are mainly used in vacuum processes such as film deposition and etching; atmospheric robotic arms are adapted to production environments with cleanliness levels above 10, featuring a sealed structure design, and are applied in non-vacuum processes such as grinding and polishing. By integrating visual sensors and AI algorithms into the end effector, robotic arms can precisely meet the requirements for handling 300mm wafers, achieving intelligent and high-precision wafer transfer. 

Wafer loading system: The "Guardian Gate" of Process Yield 

The wafer loading system is a crucial step to ensure the safe entry of wafers into processing equipment, and its performance directly affects the final quality of the chips. Prim Semiconductor's wafer loading system, through the coordinated operation of precise mechanical structures and electrical control systems, achieves the safe and efficient loading of wafers. The system conducts a comprehensive inspection of the wafers to ensure they meet processing standards, and then completes a series of actions such as grasping, conveying, and fixing through precise control, avoiding any displacement or damage to the wafers during the loading process. 

The advantages of the loading system are particularly evident in high-temperature drying, cleaning and other process steps: it can load wafers into the equipment more efficiently, while effectively reducing environmental pollution and ensuring that the wafer surface is not scratched or contaminated. For the loading requirements of 12-inch wafers, the system also adopts a refined high-pressure dynamic control strategy, which realizes the smooth adsorption and precise positioning of wafers through three stages: pre-charging, main adsorption and adsorption force optimization, avoiding problems such as adsorption stress shock and position drift, and laying a foundation for the high-precision implementation of subsequent processes. 

Independent innovation propels the rise of domestic equipment. 

The current global semiconductor equipment market is still dominated by international giants, but domestic enterprises are gradually achieving import substitution through technological breakthroughs. Prim Semiconductor, by delving into the field of nanometer-level ultra-precision motion control technology, has built a core equipment matrix covering the entire process of wafer processing. This not only breaks the foreign technological monopoly but also provides crucial support for the domestic semiconductor industry's autonomy and controllability. 

In the future, as semiconductor technology continues to advance, the requirements for the precision and efficiency of wafer processing equipment will keep rising. Prim Semiconductor will remain committed to independent innovation, deepen research and development in areas such as ultra-precision manufacturing and intelligent control, and drive domestic semiconductor precision equipment to reach higher levels, contributing Chinese strength to the development of the global semiconductor industry.