Semiconductor manufacturing requires hundreds of process steps.

The equipment used in each of these steps is semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Typical processes:

・Lithography

・Deposition

・Etching

・Ion implantation

・CMP

・Cleaning

・Inspection

A single factory has hundreds to thousands of tools lined up.

Equipment that transfers circuit patterns onto the wafer.

It is the core technology of scaling.

Representative company:

・ASML (Netherlands)

An EUV lithography tool costs 30 billion yen or more per unit.

ASML is the only company in the world that can manufacture it.

The process of forming thin films.

Applications:

・Insulating films

・Wiring materials

・Gate materials

Main methods:

・CVD

・PVD

・ALD

Representative companies:

・Applied Materials

・Tokyo Electron

The process of removing unnecessary parts.

Roles:

・Circuit formation

・Trench processing

・Via formation

Microfabrication requires atomic-level control.

Representative companies:

・Lam Research

・Tokyo Electron

The process that creates semiconductor characteristics.

Roles:

・Doping

・Adjusting electrical characteristics

Trace elements are implanted into silicon as high-speed ions.

Representative companies:

・Applied Materials

・Axcelis

CMP stands for Chemical Mechanical Polishing.

It planarizes the wafer surface at the nanometer level.

This process is indispensable for multilayer wiring.

Representative companies:

・Applied Materials

・EBARA

In semiconductor manufacturing, fine particles and contamination must be completely removed.

Roles:

・Particle removal

・Chemical cleaning

・Drying

Representative companies:

・SCREEN

・Tokyo Electron

This is an area where Japanese companies are strong.

Equipment that detects tiny defects.

Inspection targets:

・Particles

・Pattern defects

・Wiring breaks

Detecting nano-scale defects requires extremely advanced optical technology.

Representative companies:

・KLA

・Hitachi High-Tech

Characteristics of the semiconductor equipment industry:

・Ultra-high technology

・Low volume, high price

・Oligopolistic market

A single tool often costs several billion yen or more.

The reason is clear.

Equipment performance determines the limits of semiconductors.

Examples:

・EUV lithography → limits of scaling

・Etching → high-aspect-ratio processing

・Deposition → atomic-layer control

In other words, equipment creates technological progress.

Japan is also strong in the equipment field.

Representative companies:

・Tokyo Electron

・SCREEN

・Hitachi High-Tech

・EBARA

・Canon

They have particularly high global shares in

・Cleaning equipment

・Deposition equipment

・Metrology equipment.

・Semiconductor manufacturing equipment is the core of processing

・Many types of equipment are needed, such as lithography, deposition, and etching

・Equipment performance determines technological limits

・The equipment industry is an oligopolistic market

・Japanese companies are also strong worldwide

1.What is the role of semiconductor manufacturing equipment?

2.Why is EUV lithography equipment important?

3.Why does equipment performance determine the limits of semiconductor technology?

 

Column Supervisor: Koji Kakumoto (President, OTIS Co., Ltd.)

After studying abroad and working in planning and development at a trading company, he joined OTIS Co., Ltd. in 2011. While primarily working in the Corporate Planning Department, he has also served concurrently in manufacturing and technical divisions, and since 2018 has served as President, working to drive business growth and strengthen the organization.

 

This article is a general technical explanation intended for educational purposes and does not refer to any specific company, product, or technology.