Application of Diaphragm Compressors in the Semiconductor Industry

In the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, from silicon wafer preparation, ion implantation to chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) and etching, there are extremely strict requirements for gas purity, pressure stability and delivery safety. Any tiny gas contamination, pressure fluctuation or leakage may lead to a sharp drop in chip yield, equipment damage, or even irreversible production losses. As the core equipment for high-end gas compression and delivery, diaphragm compressors have become a “must-have equipment” for high-end manufacturing in the semiconductor industry due to their core advantages of oil-free operation, zero leakage and high-pressure stability. MINNUO diaphragm compressors, with customized solutions, accurately meet the full-process production needs of the semiconductor industry, safeguarding the efficiency, stability and purity of chip manufacturing.

Core Demands of the Semiconductor Industry: Why Must Diaphragm Compressors Be Selected?

Semiconductor manufacturing is a precision high-end manufacturing field, and its requirements for gas delivery equipment are far higher than those of ordinary industrial scenarios. The core demands focus on three points, which are exactly the core advantages of diaphragm compressors and the key reasons for their replacement of traditional piston compressors:

1. Ultimate Purity, No Contamination: The manufacturing of semiconductor chips requires ultra-high purity special gases such as hydrogen, helium and silane (purity requirement up to 99.999% or higher). Traditional piston compressors have the risk of lubricating oil leakage, which will directly contaminate the process gas, leading to chip defects and yield decline. Diaphragm compressors completely isolate the gas chamber from the hydraulic chamber through flexible metal diaphragms, realizing 100% oil-free compression, eliminating oil contamination from the source, and ensuring that the gas purity always meets the semiconductor production standards. This is also the core premise for it to become the preferred equipment in the semiconductor industry.
2. Zero Leakage, Safety Guarantee: Some special gases used in semiconductor production are flammable, explosive, toxic and harmful. Gas leakage will not only pollute the production environment, but also cause safety accidents. MINNUO diaphragm compressors adopt a fully sealed structure design combined with precision static sealing technology, with a leakage rate as low as 1×10⁻⁷ mbar·l/s, almost zero leakage. It can not only ensure production safety, but also avoid the waste of precious special gases and reduce production costs.
3. Stable Pressure, Precise Control: Core processes such as ion implantation and vapor deposition have extremely high requirements for gas pressure stability. Pressure fluctuations must be controlled within a very small range, otherwise the dimensional accuracy and performance of the chip will be affected. Diaphragm compressors adopt PLC intelligent pressure closed-loop control, which can realize precise pressure adjustment. Combined with multi-stage compression technology, they can not only meet the high-pressure requirements of different processes in semiconductor production (up to 30MPa), but also maintain stable pressure, avoiding the impact of pressure fluctuations on production quality. At the same time, their “zero clearance” design is both energy-saving and further ensures the stability of gas delivery.

MINNUO Diaphragm Compressors: Customized Solutions for the Entire Semiconductor Process

With the semiconductor industry breaking through to advanced processes of 7nm and below, the requirements for gas compression equipment are constantly upgrading. MINNUO has deep roots in the field of diaphragm compressors. Relying on core technology R&D and rich industry experience, it has created full-process customized products for the personalized needs of the semiconductor industry, covering key links of semiconductor production, and has become a preferred partner for many semiconductor enterprises.

1. Silicon Wafer Preparation: “Guardian” of High-Purity Gas Delivery

Silicon wafers are the foundation of semiconductor chips. In the preparation process, high-purity inert gases such as nitrogen and argon are needed to protect silicon wafers from oxidation, and the gas pressure needs to be precisely controlled to ensure the flatness and purity of silicon wafers. MINNUO diaphragm compressors adopt 316L stainless steel or Inconel alloy gas flow channels to avoid gas contamination caused by contact with equipment. Combined with high-efficiency adsorption and filtration technology, the gas purity can be maintained above 99.999%, and precise pressure regulation can be realized. It meets the gas delivery needs of silicon wafer cutting, polishing, cleaning and other processes, effectively improving the yield of silicon wafers and laying a solid foundation for subsequent chip manufacturing.

2. Ion Implantation: “Precise Deliverer” of High-Pressure Gas

Ion implantation is the core process of semiconductor chip doping. It is necessary to compress ion source gases (such as borane and phosphine) to a high-pressure state and inject them into silicon wafers through an ion accelerator to realize the regulation of chip electrical performance. This link has extremely high requirements for gas pressure stability and purity, and the gas has strong corrosiveness, flammability and explosiveness. For this scenario, MINNUO diaphragm compressors are customized with corrosion-resistant diaphragms (made of high-end materials such as Hastelloy and titanium alloy, with tensile strength ≥800 MPa), which can effectively resist the erosion of corrosive gases and extend the service life of the equipment. At the same time, it is equipped with an intelligent safety monitoring system to real-time monitor the diaphragm status and early warn the risk of diaphragm rupture. Combined with high-pressure stable output technology, it ensures the continuous and stable ion implantation process, avoiding the impact of gas pressure fluctuations or leakage on chip doping accuracy, and helping the stable production of advanced process chips.

3. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)/Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD): “Core Support” for Stable Gas Supply

Vapor deposition is a key process for the preparation of chip metal layers and dielectric layers. It is necessary to deliver reaction gases (such as silane and ammonia) to the reaction chamber with stable pressure and flow rate to ensure the uniformity and compactness of the deposition layer. MINNUO diaphragm compressors adopt a modular design, which can customize single-stage or multi-stage compression schemes according to the gas type and pressure requirements of the vapor deposition process. The flow rate can be flexibly adjusted (10-20000 cubic meters per hour). At the same time, it has the advantages of low noise and low vibration (noise ≤74dB), avoiding the impact of equipment operation vibration on deposition accuracy. Its high-efficiency cooling system can precisely control the cylinder head temperature, prevent gas decomposition caused by high temperature, ensure the stability of reaction gases, further improve the quality of chip deposition layers, and help upgrade chip performance.

4. Etching: “Safe Deliverer” of Special Gases

The etching process requires the use of highly corrosive special gases such as fluorides, which have extremely high requirements for the corrosion resistance and sealing performance of equipment. Once leakage occurs, it will not only pollute the production environment, but also damage the etching equipment. MINNUO diaphragm compressors adopt a fully sealed anti-corrosion structure, and the gas flow channel is specially treated for anti-corrosion, which can adapt to the delivery needs of various highly corrosive special gases. At the same time, it is equipped with a crankcase exhaust gas recovery system to further eliminate gas leakage, ensure the safety of the production environment and the health of operators. At the same time, it precisely controls the gas pressure and flow rate to ensure the accuracy of etching patterns, avoid etching defects caused by gas delivery problems, and improve chip yield.

MINNUO Core Advantages: Empowering the High-Quality Development of the Semiconductor Industry

Against the background of accelerated domestic substitution and continuous upgrading of the semiconductor industry, MINNUO takes technological innovation as the core. With the following advantages, it has become a preferred brand of diaphragm compressors in the semiconductor industry, helping the domestic semiconductor industry break through technical bottlenecks and achieve high-quality development:

1. Outstanding Customization Capability: It can customize exclusive diaphragm compressor solutions according to the different processes, different gas types (hydrogen, helium, silane, etc.), and different pressure/flow requirements of semiconductor enterprises. From material selection, structural design to control system, it fully adapts to semiconductor production scenarios and solves the pain point that standardized products in the industry cannot match personalized needs.
2. Excellent Core Technology: Independently developed high-pressure resistant composite diaphragm material and precision pulsation suppression structure. The diaphragm adopts a “metal-elastomer-metal” three-layer cladding welding structure, with a fatigue life of more than 30,000 times. Combined with an intelligent PLC control system, it can realize remote monitoring and precise pressure regulation. At the same time, it has 24/7 continuous operation capability, meeting the uninterrupted production needs of semiconductor production lines. The comprehensive performance of the equipment has reached the leading level in the industry, promoting a significant improvement in product stability and durability.
3. Strict Quality Control: All products have passed TÜV Rheinland certification. A full-process quality control system has been established from raw material procurement, production and processing to finished product inspection to ensure that each piece of equipment meets the strict standards of the semiconductor industry. At the same time, it provides comprehensive after-sales guarantee, 24-hour remote diagnosis and rapid spare parts supply, minimizing equipment downtime losses and escorting semiconductor production. The on-time delivery rate of equipment is 100%, which has been recognized by many industry customers.
4. Energy Saving and High Efficiency, Reducing Costs: Adopting two-stage compression and oil mist separation technology, the energy consumption is reduced by more than 30% compared with traditional equipment. At the same time, no additional cooling water source is needed, which greatly reduces the equipment operation and maintenance costs. Its high-efficiency gas recovery design can reduce the waste of special gases, further reduce production costs for enterprises, and help semiconductor enterprises achieve green and efficient production.

Conclusion: MINNUO Grows Together with the Semiconductor Industry to Help the Rise of Domestic Chips

The development of the semiconductor industry is inseparable from the support of core equipment. As an indispensable key equipment in semiconductor production, the performance of diaphragm compressors directly affects the quality and yield of chips. With the rapid development of the domestic semiconductor industry, the demand for domestic substitution is becoming increasingly urgent. MINNUO has always adhered to the product concept of “precision, purity, stability and safety”, deeply engaged in the R&D and manufacturing of diaphragm compressors, continuously broke through core technologies, optimized product solutions, and provided reliable gas compression and delivery solutions for domestic semiconductor enterprises with customized and high-quality diaphragm compressor products that adapt to the full-process production needs of the semiconductor industry.

In the future, MINNUO will continue to focus on the technological upgrading needs of the semiconductor industry, increase R&D investment, promote the iterative innovation of diaphragm compressor technology, help the domestic semiconductor industry break through technical bottlenecks, achieve high-quality development, and become a leading brand of high-end diaphragm compressors in the semiconductor industry!