Axus Technology is the world's leading supplier of chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) equipment, critical to semiconductor and compound semiconductor manufacturing. The company recently announced that its flagship Capstone CS200 platform tool offers the industry's lowest price (CoO) for CMP processes for 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) wafers. Compared to its competitors in the industry, Axus' miniaturized Capstone delivers twice the throughput at less than half the total cost per wafer.
Axus Technology's Capstone CS200 is a chemically mechanical polishing (CMP) system designed specifically for silicon carbide (SiC) wafers that achieves high throughput and reduced polishing paste consumption while extending pad life through efficient polishing paste application and a unique pad conditioning system. The system supports the processing of 100mm, 150mm and 200mm wafers, with independent wafer movement and infinite flipping capabilities, ensuring flexibility and consistency in the polishing process. The Capstone CS200 is also equipped with an advanced control system and an integrated post-CMP cleaner for improved operational reliability and cleaning efficiency. Its minimal wafer handling and intelligent slip sensor system further improve the consistency of polishing performance, while the slurry flow controller reduces maintenance requirements and extends service life. In addition, the system is designed with remote connectivity and troubleshooting in mind to minimize downtime, making it ideal for reducing overall CMP process costs and improving production efficiency and product quality.
The Capstone CS200 is designed with the unique properties of SiC in mind, which require specialized manufacturing tooling and production lines to handle power SiC devices. Anticipating this need, Axus designed a state-of-the-art Capstone from the ground up to provide advanced processing power for SiC in power electronics and other applications.
Figure:Axus CMP processes (Source:Axus Technology)
Some of Capstone's key benefits include:
1. High throughput: Capstone is able to provide higher wafer processing speeds than its competitors, processing 2.5 times the number of wafers per hour.
2. Integrated Cleaning Capability: Capstone has a streamlined workflow and integrated cleaning capabilities, so it requires half the processing steps of older CMP tools, which allows users to significantly reduce capital expenditures.
3. Process Temperature Control (PTC) Technology: The built-in PTC technology enables processing at higher pressures and speeds without exceeding the temperature limits of polishing pads and other sensitive parts. This is critical for SiC and other materials that require more aggressive handling of high hardness and planarization challenges.
Axus built its proprietary CoO model using its own system specifications, publicly available specifications of competing tools, actual consumable costs, and real-world performance data provided by customers. The comprehensive model takes into account all CoO contributing factors: process variables (polishing time and removal rate), polishing and cleaning consumables, power and deionized (DI) water usage, system footprint, and equipment capital expenditure, including cost, utilization, and wafer capacity.
In addition, Axus Technology is also discussing Axus Technology's performance and CoO benefits at the upcoming International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM), which is reported to be held from September 29 to October 4 at the Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina.
Axus Technology's Capstone® CMP and Aquarius™ Wafer Cleaning Platform are its innovative signature products that set the industry standard for modern, flexible, next-generation device design and build, as well as the provision of customized process development services. Axus enables companies of all sizes, from start-ups to high-volume manufacturers, to test, develop and implement cutting-edge solutions, especially for new and emerging materials, process integration solutions, products and applications.
