The ongoing push for global connectivity that relies on mobility, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G calls for robust, leading-edge wireless technology. The devices underpinning wireless technology are built using compound semiconductor materials.

Compound semiconductor devices include heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT), high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs), and surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technology used in digital, analog, and mixed integrated circuits for radio, power, and other high-frequency applications.

At Plasma-Therm®, we support compound semiconductor device manufacturing with our etch, deposition, ion beam, and plasma dicing tools.

Wireless & Connectivity Applications

Photonic devices are designed to emit, reflect, transmit, or absorb photons spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from x-rays to the far infrared and have features ranging in size from nanoscale to tens of microns. All this is possible with materials as diverse as indium phosphide (InP), gallium nitride (GaN), silicon-based dielectrics, metals such as gold and platinum, and lithium niobate (LiNbO₃). There isn’t any part of life that doesn’t use or rely on photonic devices. Whether for illumination, optotelecommunication, sensing, or displays, photonics is playing the critical role.

Most photonics devices are built using compound semiconductor materials, an area of manufacturing for which Plasma-Therm® is well known. When you partner with us, you’ll be tapping into the expertise that comes from installing more than 1,300 systems in both R&D and production.

Photonics Applications

While some semiconductor manufacturers continue to pursue Moore’s Law with device scaling, others are focused on advanced packaging technology to deliver on power, performance, area, and cost (PPAC). With chiplets, heterogenous packaging, wafer-level packaging designs, and more, the bar for better PPAC is being raised. 

From deep silicon etch (DSE™) and our award-winning Fast Atomic Sequential Technology (F.A.S.T.®) to our proprietary high-density radical flux (HDRF™) process technology and revolutionary plasma dicing capabilities, we are helping lead semiconductor and advanced packaging innovation. Whether it be plasma dicing on tape (PDOT™), plasma dicing on carrier (PDOC), or plasma dicing before grind (PDBG), we have it covered. 

Whether you are an integrated device manufacture (IDM), pure-play foundry, or outsourced semiconductor assembly and test service (OSAT) provider, our systems and solutions, along with our knowledge of process nuances and subtleties, will help you remove risk, increase efficiency, enhance capacity, and expand your yield.

Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging Applications

Data is the new oil. The metaverse is generating and processing data faster than ever before. Managing all this data requires powerful, advanced, high-performance, high-density data storage technology. From traditional hard disk drives (HDD), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), and other non-volatile memory technologies to cloud storage and edge computing, you need equipment and processes that are at the peak of performance and guarantee ease of use, repeatability, and reliability.

Since 1995, we’ve evolved our process technology to meet your needs in memory and data storage. Our continuous improvement processes keep us at the top of our game so you get the best we have to offer with a variety of memory and data storage solutions.

Data Storage and Memory Applications 

To meet carbon neutrality goals, the world is relying on power transformation strategies to reduce greenhouse emissions. The critical role of power devices will drive high market growth in this area.  For every application that uses electricity, from consumer appliances  and electric vehicles to data centers  and energy generation, efficiency will be a key requirement. Power devices will be fundamental to  meeting that requirement. 

In addition to traditional silicon-based power devices, those fabricated from compound semiconductor materials like gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) are contributing to a cleaner environment. At Plasma-Therm®, we support both silicon- and compound semiconductor–based power device manufacturing with our etch, deposition, ion beam, and plasma dicing process technologies.

Power Device Applications

The efficiency of wideband power devices provides power supplies for consumer electronics that  deliver savings in weight and size as well as power. Power electronics are widely used in renewable energy power generation, electric vehicles, and space applications. They must withstand high voltages and currents to supply controlled power.

The digital transformation is here, powered by a plethora of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors. From mobile and wearable consumer devices to automotive, medical, and industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) applications, MEMS and sensors are critical for capturing data that is processed to inform our actions. 

MEMS fabrication is not standardized and spans a variety of technology areas, including electronics, fluidics, mechanics, magnetics, acoustics, and optics. Each unique design can require many different etch, deposition, and release steps. Our platforms are the centerpiece of our process technologies and cover a wide variety of applications, including etch, deposition, strip, material modification, and singulation. 

MEMS & Sensor Applications 

At Plasma-Therm®, we understand that scientific R&D is where the magic happens. That’s why we invest in continuously improving our plasma-based processing technologies. We understand your specific research needs may vary from the needs of others. That’s why we’re always ready to help dial in your tool and process to ensure it meets your requirements. 

That leaves you free to find new ways to connect us to the world and do things to keep us safe, make our lives easier, and empower us to do things we never could before. We are honored to help you and others achieve these tasks. So as you continue to push for the next great achievements, we’ll be right here with you.