Device manufacturing within the semiconductor industry places high intensity demand on the amount and volume of materials that are used, especially in areas that require a ceramic-metal bond in high temperature, high pressure and corrosive environments. Due to the type of alloys being used in manufacturing devices, a ceramic provides good electrical insulation and resistance in high temperature, metal alloys are also used for their electrical conductivity and an increase in mechanical strength. By casulating ceramic materials within devices, it serves to be an effective seam as it improves the quality of brazed semiconductor device components.
The core technology of ceramic brazing technology
1.Choose the right Brazing Alloys for Ceramics
The choice of brazing alloy is very important for the combination effect of ceramic and metal. The following are several common types of brazing materials:
Filler metal with base silver: Considered ideal for components that require high electrical conductivity due to its unrivaled electrical conductivity and superior wettability.
Filler metal with base cooper: Considered suitable for a high temperature process since it demonstrates strength and durability in high temperature environments.
Active brazing alloys: Takes the ability of a solder to a whole new level, contains elements active elements like titanium that drastically enhances greases ability along with any ceramic surface making it ideal for applications requiring a strong bond.
2. Surface pretreatment
Before brazing, the ceramic and metal surfaces must undergo strict pretreatment to ensure the combination effect:
Ceramic surface cleaning: remove surface contaminants and oxides.
Treatment of the metal surface: Usually electroplating or chemical treatment is used to enhance the wetting effect of the filler metal.
3. Heating and cooling process
Brazing is usually performed in a vacuum environment or an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation. The heating process consists of the following stages:
Heating stage: Slowly heating up to the melting temperature of the filler metal.
Insulation stage: Maintain a certain temperature to ensure that the filler metal fully wets the ceramic and metal surfaces.
Cooling stage: Slow cooling to reduce thermal stress and avoid cracking.
By precisely controlling the temperature and time at each stage, the mechanical strength and air tightness of the joint can be significantly improved.
Application of Ceramic brazing in semiconductor equipment
1. Vacuum chamber and sealing assembly
The quality of products in a semiconductor industry greatly depends upon the vacuum environment which makes it a key consideration during the manufacturing. To aid with that, Ceramic brazing technology can be applied in the creation of sealing components and vacuum chambers ensuring the proper functioning of equipment under low pressure.
2. Electrical insulation components
Due to the excellent insulation properties of ceramic materials, brazed ceramic-metal bonds are commonly used to manufacture electrical insulation components in high pressure and high frequency environments, such as electrodes and sensors in wafer processing equipment.
3. High precision mechanical parts
Critical components in many semiconductor devices need to work in high temperature and high stress environments for long periods of time. High-precision mechanical components manufactured by ceramic brazing technology not only provide superior mechanical strength, but also significantly extend the service life of the equipment.
Advantages of ceramic brazing
High air tightness: The ceramic brazed joint has a very high air tightness, which can ensure the long-term stable operation of vacuum equipment.
Superior high-temperature resistance: ideal for use in high-temperature conditions and satisfies the exact specifications set for components used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Superb performance in electrical insulation: Outstanding characteristics and use in devices with a high level of insulation requirement such as power modules using high voltage.
Longer service life: The advantages of ceramic and metal are combined to provide equipment components with longer service life and lower maintenance costs.
Future development trend
There has been an increasing need for tools and processes due to the expansion of semiconductor technology. It is expected that in the next few years there will be developments in ceramic brazing such as:Technology such as EDA, or engineering design automation tools, is becoming more commonplace, and this will only increase over time.
Through the integration of automated and intelligent control systems, we can increase consistency and efficiency within the brazing process. To fulfill the growing demand for devices with next-gen semiconductors, materials that have higher insulation and thermal conductivity are being made.
Because of high-performance ceramic alloys and fine-tuned methods, ceramic brazing has crossed a significant threshold in conserving the reliability of semiconductor devices while lowering the maintenance cost, owing to the increased service life it provides.
Given the fierce competition in the market, ceramic brazing can be the game-changing technology that can help push your product to the next level, if you are searching for ways to enhance the machining power of your equipment. Our company is able to provide these services, and we would love to hear from you.