News: Suppliers
30 September 2024
ASM launches dual-chamber PE2O8 single-wafer 8”-wafer silicon carbide epi system
At the 2024 International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM) in Raleigh, NC, USA (29 September-4 October), ASM International N.V. of Almere, the Netherlands, which designs and manufactures semiconductor wafer processing equipment and process solutions, has introduced the dual-chamber PE2O8 silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxy system. Designed to address the needs of the SiC power device segment, the PE2O8 is claimed to be the benchmark epitaxy system for low defectivity and high process uniformity, all with the higher throughput and low cost of ownership needed to enable broader adoption of SiC devices.
As the general electrification trend drives more power device makers to utilize SiC for a growing number of high-power applications (such as electric vehicles, green power, and advanced data centers) the expanded demand and requirements for lower cost for SiC is driving a transition from 6” to 8” SiC substrates. At the same time, SiC device makers are designing higher-power devices that will benefit from better SiC epitaxy.
Since 2022, through its new SiC Epi product unit, ASM has been developing and refining its single-wafer SiC epitaxy system. With the structurally higher demand for electric vehicles and the improvement in overall SiC wafer and device yield, the equipment market for SiC epitaxy has grown substantially in recent years.
Utilizing a unique design, the dual-chamber PE2O8 system deposits SiC with ultra-precise control, enabling benchmark higher yield and higher throughput, it is claimed. The compact, dual-chamber design enables high productivity and low total costs of operation. Additionally, the system features an easy preventive-maintenance approach, helping to increase uptime and reduce the occurrence of unscheduled downtime. System deliveries have been ongoing to multiple customers globally, including leaders in SiC power device manufacturing.
“We are at a critical inflection for silicon carbide power products, as our customers transition from 6” to 8” wafers,” says Steven Reiter, corporate VP & business unit head of Plasma and Epi at ASM. “Delivering a high-quality epitaxy process on larger wafers with defectivity control is critical, and we have been the industry benchmark for process uniformity with our novel chamber design,” he claims. “We have now extended our system capability to improve our process control and our value for customers with lower cost of ownership.”
