Precision at the Foundation: Huzhou Prim's Exploration into Domestication of Wafer Processing Core Equipment

As semiconductor manufacturing processes continue to shrink from 7nm down to 3nm and 2nm, the industry's precision requirements for production have risen to the nanometer level—billions of transistors must be integrated onto a chip no larger than a fingernail. Even a micrometer-level deviation in any production step could result in the entire batch of wafers being scrapped. Against this backdrop, end-to-end processing capabilities—from wafer handling and alignment to loading—have become the key benchmark for evaluating semiconductor equipment performance. For years, this high-end market has been dominated by overseas giants, with domestic companies struggling to break through under technological blockades. However, Huzhou Prim Semiconductor Co., Ltd., a relatively new domestic player established only in 2023, has carved out an independent and controllable path toward localization by deeply mastering nanoscale precision technologies. 

Focusing on core markets, evolving from single breakthroughs to comprehensive solutions 

Since its inception, Huzhou Prim has focused its R&D efforts on nanoscale ultra-precision motion control technology. Rather than pursuing a broad and comprehensive layout, the company has concentrated on addressing core challenges in wafer handling processes, achieving progressive breakthroughs from key components to complete systems. In just a few years, it has built a product portfolio covering the entire workflow of wafer transportation, alignment, and loading. Its four core products—wafer-handling robots, ceramic wafer forks, wafer alignment stages, and wafer loading systems—not only fill critical technological gaps in China's high-end equipment sector but have also entered the supply chains of leading wafer manufacturers, proving through actual performance the reliability of domestically produced equipment. 

Unlike traditional equipment manufacturers that follow a path from imitation to improvement, Prim has consistently focused on independent research and development of core technologies from the outset. By redefining product standards to meet the demands of advanced manufacturing processes, every key product is designed to meet today's most stringent production requirements. 

Four core products, building a solid foundation for wafer processing precision 

1.Wafer Handling Robot: The "Precision Conveyor Belt" of Serial Production Lines 

Wafer handling is the "circulatory system" of semiconductor manufacturing. Each wafer undergoes dozens or even hundreds of processes, and every transfer between workstations relies on robotic handlers. The speed, precision, and stability of these robots directly determine the overall efficiency of the production line. Advanced fabrication processes require handlers not only to achieve nanometer-level positioning but also to operate reliably in extreme environments such as vacuum, high temperature, and corrosive conditions—any minor contamination could cause fatal damage to the wafers. 

Prim's wafer handling robot features high-precision servo drives combined with self-developed motion control algorithms, achieving sub-micron repeatability and a maximum transfer speed of up to 2 meters per second—fully meeting the high-speed production demands of advanced manufacturing lines. Designed specifically for vacuum applications, the robot is optimized for "low contamination" from material selection to structural design: critical components use low-outgassing materials, and the lubrication system employs an oil-free solid lubrication solution, eliminating organic volatile contaminants at the source. This enables the robot to operate stably over long periods in ultra-high vacuum environments as low as 10⁻⁷ Pa, satisfying the requirements of core processes such as etching and thin-film deposition. Additionally, its modular design allows compatibility with different wafer sizes and equipment types, enabling customers to easily upgrade existing production lines and reduce retrofitting costs. 

2. Ceramic Tile Fork: Big Technology in Small Components 

The ceramic wafer fork is a core component mounted at the end of a handling robot arm, directly contacting the wafer. Though seemingly simple in structure, it serves as the final safeguard for wafer safety. The material and machining precision of the fork directly determine the wafer breakage rate and contamination risk during transport: conventional metal forks are prone to metal ion contamination and may suffer from stress-induced deformation that affects positioning accuracy; ordinary ceramic forks often lack sufficient density and strength, making them unsuitable for high-speed handling requirements. 

Prim's ceramic wafer forks are made from high-purity alumina or silicon nitride ceramic materials, inherently offering high density, high strength, low thermal expansion, heat resistance, and corrosion resistance. They maintain dimensional stability even under demanding conditions such as high-temperature etching and do not release contaminants that could pollute wafers. The products undergo precision grinding and special surface treatments, achieving a surface roughness below Ra0.1 with burr-free edges, significantly minimizing the risk of wafer scratching. The structural design balances lightweight construction with rigidity, controlling vibration at the nanometer level during high-speed operation—ensuring both load-bearing capacity and extended service life by avoiding internal stress issues. Currently, Prim's ceramic wafer forks support full-size wafers ranging from 125mm to 300mm, meeting customized requirements for various customers, and have become the preferred replacement component for many domestic equipment manufacturers seeking alternatives to imported parts. 

3. Wafer Alignment Stage: The "North Star" of Advanced Manufacturing Processes 

Alignment is a critical step in core processes such as lithography. Only when the wafer and mask patterns are precisely aligned can chip functionality be guaranteed; even an alignment error of just tens of nanometers may lead to chip failure. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the wafer alignment stage directly determines the upper limit of the entire manufacturing process. As process technologies continue to advance, the requirements for alignment precision have become increasingly stringent. High-end alignment stages involve extremely high technical barriers and have long been dominated by overseas companies. 

Prim's wafer alignment stage features a multi-degree-of-freedom design, combined with piezoelectric ceramic actuation and a laser interferometry closed-loop monitoring system, achieving an alignment accuracy of ±5 nm—fully meeting the requirements for advanced processes at 3 nm and below. The equipment integrates a vision sensing system that rapidly identifies wafer edge notches and alignment marks, automatically calculates positional deviations via algorithms, and performs attitude adjustments without any manual intervention, increasing alignment speed by over 30% compared to conventional systems. To accommodate wafers of various shapes, the alignment stage is equipped with an adaptive three-point edge clamping structure that securely holds the wafer while minimizing impact on its original form, enabling compatibility with different sizes and types of wafers and enhancing adaptability. To address wedge errors commonly occurring during alignment, Prim's stage also incorporates an automatic compensation function that dynamically adjusts wafer flatness in real time, ensuring perfect parallelism between the wafer and the process platform, thereby further improving alignment precision and laying a solid foundation for subsequent processing steps. 

4. Wafer Loading System: The "Frontline" for Efficient Production Line Operation 

The wafer loading system serves as the entry point for wafers into processing equipment, responsible for precisely and safely delivering wafers to process stations. Its reliability directly affects the overall production line availability. In large-scale manufacturing wafer fabs, issues such as card jams or positioning errors in the loading system can easily lead to complete production line shutdowns, resulting in significant capacity loss. Therefore, extremely high requirements are placed on the system's automation level and stability. 

Prim's wafer loading system features a fully automated process design integrated with high-precision visual positioning, enabling automatic execution of full workflow operations including wafer identification, alignment, gripping, and loading. With positioning accuracy controlled at the micron level and no need for manual intervention, it minimizes human error while significantly improving production line efficiency. The system incorporates real-time status monitoring capabilities, allowing it to instantly detect anomalies such as card misalignment or positional drift, automatically adjusting or issuing alerts to greatly reduce the risk of equipment downtime. Designed with modular and standardized architecture, it is compatible with various brands and specifications of processing equipment, enabling rapid integration whether for new production lines or retrofits of existing ones. Currently adopted by numerous leading global semiconductor manufacturers, the system has earned consistent market recognition. 

The future of homegrown innovators, a new direction for domestic substitution 

For China's domestic semiconductor industry, achieving self-reliance and control over core equipment has never been an overnight feat; it requires countless companies to continuously focus on and gradually break through in specific niche areas. As a rising player in the industry, Huzhou Prim has not shied away from the technological barriers in high-end fields. Instead, it has firmly rooted itself in nanoscale precision technology, starting with individual key components and progressively realizing full-process domestic substitution solutions. This dedicated and persistent approach is precisely the kind of strength most urgently needed in today's domestic semiconductor equipment sector. 

As the global semiconductor industry undergoes structural adjustments, the wave of domestic substitution is creating unprecedented development opportunities for local equipment manufacturers. Going forward, advanced manufacturing processes will continue to demand higher precision and efficiency. Primus will remain committed to advancing nanoscale precision technologies—on one hand, continuously improving the performance of existing products to meet increasingly sophisticated process requirements, and on the other, expanding application scenarios by collaborating with upstream and downstream domestic enterprises to build a comprehensive industrial ecosystem. This effort aims to elevate the overall level of domestically produced semiconductor equipment and contribute to greater autonomy and controllability in the semiconductor industry.