EDGE

/ 135 posts
2-5-2 The Art of Subtraction — Etching and Cleaning
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 5 minutes read

2-5-2 The Art of Subtraction — Etching and Cleaning

Semiconductor etching, or "subtraction," is Lam Research's domain. Advanced processes use precise dry plasma etching. Lam's HAR & ALE are key for 3D NAND/GAA. Post-etch cleaning is critical: TEL dominates front-end. Hermes-Epitek & Scientech dominate CoWoS back-end cleaning, seizing market.
2-5-0 Materialization Project: The Big Three Equipment Companies and the Building Cycle
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 7 minutes read

2-5-0 Materialization Project: The Big Three Equipment Companies and the Building Cycle

Chipmaking (nano-skyscrapers). ASML blueprints; physical build by 'big three'. Process: deposition, lithography, etching, planarization (dozens of repeats). Applied Materials growth; Lam etches; TEL coats; KLA inspects. These teams permeate processes, building a 'steel Great Wall' for chips.
2-4-5 A Comprehensive Analysis of TSMC's Specialty Chemical Supply Chain: Identifying 5 Major Hidden Champions
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 7 minutes read

2-4-5 A Comprehensive Analysis of TSMC's Specialty Chemical Supply Chain: Identifying 5 Major Hidden Champions

Semiconductor materials, continuous consumables, provide stable cash flow. This article identifies five key players: Japanese firms monopolize lithography; EU/US firms, gases. In Taiwan, Tai-Chemical (silane) & Crystalwise (special cylinders) make breakthroughs. Yu Chuan dominates ALD precursors;...
2-4-4 The 'Bathwater' of Wafers —— Wet Process and Taiwan's Alchemy
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 7 minutes read

2-4-4 The 'Bathwater' of Wafers —— Wet Process and Taiwan's Alchemy

Wafer production is 30% cleaning; PPT-pure chemicals are vital, or nanoparticles destroy yield. Beyond TMAH developer and Piranha solution (SPM), containers and recycling are key. UPC masters Teflon-lined technology for uncontaminated chemical delivery; SCF purifies and regenerates waste liquids,...
2-4-3 The Soul of Photolithography —— Photoresist and the Japanese Empire
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 10 minutes read

2-4-3 The Soul of Photolithography —— Photoresist and the Japanese Empire

Photoresist is lithography's soul. EUV's RLS impossibility triangle (resolution, roughness, sensitivity) requires CAR/MOR breakthroughs. 90% of market monopolized by 5 Japanese firms (JSR, Shin-Etsu); JSR's privatization is a national strategy. Most Taiwanese firms distribute. Only Topco uses R&D...
2-4-1 The Film of the Battlefield: Photomask Technology (Photomask)
Semiconductor
EDGE / / 9 minutes read

2-4-1 The Film of the Battlefield: Photomask Technology (Photomask)

EUV photomasks use 80-layer MoSi mirrors; atomic defects challenge interference focusing. TSMC initially skipped pellicles for yield, now using carbon nanotubes. A 3nm photomask costs NT$1B. NRE makes advanced processes a giant oligopoly; small fabs use MPW.