Semiconductors are used in a wide variety of products all around us, including communication devices such as smartphones, home appliances such as air conditioners and ovens, and transportation, including automobiles and airplanes. Further, semiconductors keep evolving in amazing ways to deliver higher performance and multifunctionality. For example, smartphone memory capacity has increased exponentially while the size of smartphones has remained the same, and the performance of the microprocessors that run smartphones has improved in like manner, due to the evolution of semiconductors.
Kyocera supports the semiconductor industry by providing high-quality products and technologies that support semiconductor evolution, utilizing custom-solution expertise we have cultivated since our founding in 1959. Below is an outline of Kyocera's semiconductor-related products and technologies, which are introduced alongside examples of the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Semiconductor manufacturing process
Mask Manufacturing
Process
Circuit formation is performed by designing a pattern using a computer and transferring it onto a photomask.
- Circuit and Pattern Design
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Kyocera designs circuits for semiconductor chips through repeated simulations to analyze and optimize circuit patterns.
Since the required functions differ depending on the application, the design pattern differs each time. - Photomask Construction
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A photomask is the original plate used to transfer a pattern onto a silicon wafer.
A photomask is manufactured by etching a very fine circuit pattern onto a glass plate with a light-shielding film.
Semiconductor manufacturing process
Wafer Manufacturing
Process
Ingots are used to fabricate wafers and prepare them for processing.
- Slicing Silicon Ingots
After grinding the silicon ingot to a uniform diameter, the ingot is cut into thin disks using a wire saw.
- Wafer Polishing
The wafer is cut into disks and the uneven surface is polished using abrasives and polishing pads.
Kyocera Polishing Plates Support Wafer Polishing
Polishing plates made of high-purity ceramic enable precise processing.
The ceramic also has excellent wear resistance so the surface can be maintained in good condition for a long time.
Semiconductor manufacturing process
Pre-Process
Before the circuit is formed
on the substrate
Hundreds of LSI chips (large-scale integrated circuits) containing billions of transistors are created on a wafer made from silicon.
- Oxidation of the Wafer Surface
To bake the circuit pattern, the wafer surface is oxidized to form an oxide film on the wafer.
- Thin Film Formation
Thin film formation of various materials is performed.
Kyocera's Durable Ceramic Plasma Proofs Support Components in the CVD Equipment Chamber
Thin film deposition processes require extremely durable equipment that can withstand plasma environments and corrosive gases. Kyocera's ceramic materials have excellent plasma and heat resistance, low particle counts, and low dielectric loss.
Kyocera's Piezoelectric Devices Support Precise Gas Control
Kyocera's piezoelectric devices are used in mass flow controllers that control the flow rate of process gases.
Piezoelectric devices expand and contract instantly when electricity is applied, allowing Kyocera's products to respond nearly 10 times faster than conventional crimp-style valves. In addition, they have a structure (crack control layer) that avoids failure modes caused by cracks, thus ensuring reliability. The high quality of these products is also evident in the fact that they are also used in automotive applications.
※ Mass flow controller: A device that precisely controls the flow rate of process gas supplied to the wafer.
- Photoresist Coating
A photosensitive agent (“photoresist”) is uniformly applied to transfer the circuit pattern.
- Exposure and Development
Using an exposure device, a light source repeatedly irradiates the photoresist through a photomask and lens, transferring the circuit pattern. In photography, this process corresponds to "development."
Kyocera's Ceramic Wafer Stage Components Enhance Lithography Equipment
In the process of manufacturing a single semiconductor, circuit patterns are repeatedly baked onto the wafer, requiring technology to accurately and repeatedly overlap the wafer and photomask without misalignment. Kyocera develops and supplies lightweight, rigid, high-precision wafer stage components to custom specifications. We use cordierite ceramic material, which has an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion and a high degree of smoothness. Its precision is such that it is used in the Subaru Telescope installed atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
- Etching
Gas is plasma-ized in a vacuum chamber to remove oxide film and other unwanted materials.
Kyocera's Ceramics Withstand High-Power Plasma Gases to Enhance Productivity
As the number of layers increases, the number of etching processes and the time required for etching inevitably increases as well. Kyocera's ceramics, which can withstand high plasma power, are ideal materials for use as chamber components.
- Resist Stripping and Cleaning
Remove unneeded resist.
- Ion Drench
Ions are injected into the wafer under heat treatment. This process is essential for semiconductors to operate as transistors.
- Planarization (CMP)
Planarization (CMP) is the process of polishing the surface of a wafer to remove irregularities and flatten the surface.
Kyocera's Vacuum Chuck Supports High-Precision Wafer Surface Polishing
The vacuum chuck, made of high purity ceramic with excellent chemical resistance, is used to firmly fix and polish semiconductor wafers.
- Electrode Formation
Create openings in the oxide film for embedded electrodes.
- Assembly and Wafer Inspection
Using a probing machine, all chips formed on wafers are inspected for electrical characteristics, and defective chips are sorted out.
Semiconductor manufacturing process Post-process From plating to inspection and shipping
Semiconductor chips are cut from wafers, assembled and inspected.
- Plating
Plating is performed for flip-chip mounting.
- Bumps
Solder bumps are formed on the electrode portion of the wafer.
- Wafer Dicing
Wafers are cut with a blade and divided into individual chips.
Kyocera's Vacuum Chuck and Optical System Unit Support Dicing Machine Components
Kyocera's vacuum chuck and optical system unit are used to reduce blurring that occurs during dicing. Compact designs are possible with anti-vibration and dustproof/waterproof performance (IP64 grade). Kyocera optical lenses are also used to focus the laser beam during dicing, contributing to accurate dicing.
- Assembling
Packaging is used to protect the individual chips. Packaging materials include organics, ceramics, leadframes, die attach paste, and molding compounds for encapsulation.
Trust Kyocera for All Your Ceramic and Organic Packaging Needs
Kyocera manufactures ceramic packages, organic packages, die attach paste, and molding compounds for encapsulation.
We tailor proposals to our customers' requirements to maximize the characteristics of each material, and our products are used in a wide range of applications, from consumer products to infrastructure and automotive applications.
Kyocera's Optical Units Support Exposure of Base Materials During Mounting
Kyocera optical lenses are also used in equipment to expose silicon wafers.
- Inspection and Shipping
After repeated inspections such as burn-in (humidity voltage test), product inspections and reliability tests are conducted, and finished products are then molded and shipped.
Extra Tech Spotlight
Kyocera’s thin, compact capacitors fit gaps between semiconductor packages to save space
Capacitors are electronic components that support the operation of electronic devices. Kyocera has developed thin-type, high-capacity capacitors that can be mounted in the small gaps between BGAs and withstand temperatures of 105°C.
For example, a single smartphone contains approximately 700~1000 capacitors, so reducing their size is essential.
Reference：SEMI FREAKS, SEMI Japan's semiconductor industry research site