As the market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) continues to grow, so does the need for modern manufacturing techniques. This trend is driven by the rising complexity of machine components and increasing demand for technological advancements.
Semiconductors are vital materials for making the chips found in a range of modern technological devices such as everyday consumer products, cars and healthcare devices. The production of these chips can be expensive and complex. The challenges of traditional manufacturing techniques include long lead times and increased waste.
Texas A&M Ph.D. candidate Jiahui Ye collaborated with Texas A&M professor Dr. Alaa Elwany and Dr. Ahmed El Desouky, director of Additive Manufacturing at Veeco Instruments Inc., to explore the emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) as a potential solution to improving the overall efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing. Her published review paper in the Journal of Manufacturing Processes highlights possible advancements.
Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, can be used to build parts or chips layer by layer, creating designs at a quicker rate with less waste.
While traditional manufacturing should still be used for basic SME processes, AM technologies can be beneficial when dealing with time-consuming, intricate components.
“The semiconductor industry doesn’t have much research on the topic of additive manufacturing,” Ye said. “But when you dig deeper and realize that they’re both critical emerging technologies, it becomes apparent that a collaboration between the two could be incredibly beneficial to the United States’ current supply chain issue.”
Because of an increase in outsourced manufacturing and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. has been plagued with issues related to its supply chain resilience. As a response, the U.S. passed the Chips and Science Act of 2022, investing $52.7 billion to support the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
The semiconductor industry doesn’t have much research on the topic of additive manufacturing. But when you dig deeper and realize that they’re both critical emerging technologies, it becomes apparent that a collaboration between the two could be incredibly beneficial to the United States’ current supply chain issue.
With the U.S. attempting to regain its position as a manufacturer of semiconductors to avoid becoming fully reliant on foreign providers, the constant technological improvements taking place necessitate continuous advancements to SME processes — making the need for AM applications even more pressing.
In manufacturing more advanced, improved semiconductor chips, for example, the issue of thermal conductivity must be addressed through the heat exchanger component, which can be difficult without the help of AM technologies.
“The next generation heat exchanger has to be developed to support the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing,” Ye said. “The process can be incredibly complex, but additive manufacturing has the capability to address this and decrease costs and lead time while increasing performance all around.”
AM is already being used to improve SME systems by various semiconductor manufacturing firms, such as ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, and Nikon.
“The number of companies using semiconductor and additive manufacturing together is growing,” Ye said. “The industry opportunity is increasing.”
While there are still issues to be addressed and adaptations to be made when dealing with AM technologies, 3D printing could be the answer to the U.S. regaining its position in the world of manufacturing and improving its weakened supply chain.