Huzhou Prim Semiconductor: Building the Nanometer-Precision Foundation for Wafer Manufacturing with Core Components

As semiconductor manufacturing processes continue advancing toward 3nm and below, the requirements for wafer handling, alignment, and positioning accuracy throughout the entire production flow have surpassed the nanometer level—any micrometer-level deviation could directly result in the scrapping of an entire wafer. Located in the Xihu Science and Technology Innovation Park in Si'an Town, Changxing County, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Prim Semiconductor Co., Ltd. is building a comprehensive technical system covering wafer transport, alignment, and motion control through a series of independently developed core components, providing strong momentum for the localization of high-end semiconductor equipment in China. 

1. Air-float Rotary Axis: The Foundation of Precision for Contactless Motion 

As the core supporting component of semiconductor precision motion platforms, Prim's self-developed air-floating rotary axis completely overcomes the friction limitations of traditional mechanical bearings. By introducing highly filtered clean compressed air into the bearing cavity, it forms a rigid and uniform micron-level air film between the turntable and the support surface, enabling contact-free floating rotation. This design fundamentally eliminates wear, vibration, and dust generation during operation, achieving stable sub-micron-level rotational accuracy in both axial and radial directions, with positioning accuracy up to 1.14 arcseconds. Even under prolonged continuous operation, it maintains extremely low motion jitter. Leveraging its proprietary patented "Real-Time Error Compensation Method for Precision Air-Floating Motion Platforms," the system can continuously collect data on ambient temperature, supply air pressure, and load current during operation. Using deep learning-based dynamic prediction algorithms, it generates compensation values in real time and applies millisecond-level error correction via PID control, making it perfectly suited for high-stability processes such as wafer thinning, inspection, and lithography alignment. 

2. Ceramic Tile Fork: A Safe and Clean Transfer Solution 

At the final stage of wafer handling, Prim's ceramic wafer forks serve as the core carrier ensuring wafer safety. Fabricated from high-purity, high-density alumina or silicon nitride ceramics through one-piece sintering, these forks exhibit a near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion, enabling them to maintain structural integrity without deformation in high-temperature, corrosive process chambers. They also fundamentally eliminate the risk of ionic contamination that may arise from metal components. The fork structure has been optimized for lightweight rigidity, maintaining nanometer-level end-face runout during high-speed extension and retraction. By integrating vacuum adsorption with edge-limiting mechanisms, it enables stable, non-contact wafer gripping—preventing scratches on the photolithography patterns while accommodating wafers ranging from 6 to 12 inches in diameter. This significantly reduces breakage rates during transfer and fully meets the ISO Class 1 cleanliness requirements of semiconductor front-end processes. 

3. Wafer Alignment Stage: The Core for Nanometer-Level Overlay Positioning 

The wafer alignment stage is a critical component that determines the overlay accuracy in lithography processes. Prim's alignment stage integrates a multi-degree-of-freedom piezoelectric drive module, a high-definition vision recognition system, and a laser interferometry measurement unit, forming a complete closed-loop alignment system. It rapidly identifies alignment marks on the wafer surface through image acquisition and feature recognition algorithms, and combines this with nanometer-level displacement adjustments from an air-floating motion platform to control the wafer-to-mask alignment error within ±5 nm. The system supports multiple alignment modes—including bright-field, dark-field, and diffraction—adapting to various mark features across different process layers. It enables fast wafer position calibration without opening the process chamber, significantly reducing equipment downtime and ensuring stable overlay precision for multi-layer circuits. 

4. Wafer Handling Robot: The Transmission Hub for Full-Process Automation 

At the heart of this system is Prim's self-developed wafer handling robotic arm, which integrates the technical advantages of its core components. The robot uses an air-floating rotary axis as its base for rotation, combined with a high-stiffness ceramic arm and ceramic blade fork as the end effector, along with a proprietary motion planning and control system. This enables high-speed, smooth transfer of wafers between different process equipment. With a repeatability positioning accuracy within 0.1 mm and a transfer speed supporting over 180 wafers per hour, the system also features integrated collision detection and dynamic path planning capabilities, allowing it to flexibly navigate structural obstacles even in confined internal spaces. It can adapt to special process environments such as vacuum and high temperature, and seamlessly connect with full-process steps including wafer pre-alignment, lithography, etching, and cleaning, serving as a reliable transmission hub linking various processing nodes. 

From breakthroughs in core components to integrated compatibility across multiple systems, Huzhou Prim Semiconductor has established a comprehensive matrix of nanoscale wafer handling and positioning technologies. Moving forward, the company will continue to deepen its expertise in precision motion control, iteratively advancing technical solutions for emerging processes such as 3D stacking and advanced packaging. By collaborating closely with partners throughout the upstream and downstream supply chain, it aims to provide more reliable core support for the independent development of domestic semiconductor equipment. The above content is generated based on your requirements; if you need adjustments to technical details or content emphasis, please feel free to suggest modifications at any time.