ACM Research, Inc., a specialist in wafer processing solutions for semiconductor and advanced wafer-level packaging (WLP) applications, has entered the semiconductor track market, supporting lithography for semiconductor IC manufacturing.

ACM announced on the 25th that it is entering the coater/developer, or track, market with the launch of its new Ultra Track equipment.

ACM has entered this new equipment segment with its expertise and capabilities in cleaning, coating and development systems.

ACM developed its first encapsulation coating equipment and developing equipment in 2013 and delivered it to a customer in 2014.

ACM will deliver its first ArF process coater/developer track machine to a customer in China in the coming weeks, and will launch the i-line model machine in 2023. ACM has also begun research and development on the KrF model machine.

“We are honored to announce that ACM is entering the track market, which will be another key new product category for us,” said David Wang, CEO and President of ACM. According to Gartner data, the worldwide track market is expected to reach $3.7 billion by 2022, representing a tremendous opportunity for ACM,” said Mr. Lee. “ACM’s core competencies in software and robotics, combined with ACM’s proven coater/developer equipment performance and unique new architecture, have enabled us to successfully enter the track market with competitive products and services. This new product launch marks the first gateway to support current and future front-end lithography processes. Given that many global logic and memory semiconductor manufacturers are seeking tier-two suppliers, we anticipate significant potential demand for this new product.”

ACM's new Ultra Track is a 300mm wafer process tool that can provide uniform downdraft, high-speed and stable manipulator handling, and powerful customized software to meet customers' specific needs. This versatile tool can reduce product defects, increase production capacity, and reduce cost of ownership (COO). Ultra Track supports the entire lithography process, including i-line, KrF, and ArF systems.

The coater/developer track equipment supports the photolithography process, meeting the requirements of the entire process while optimizing the coating and developing steps before and after the wafer is exposed to the lithography equipment. The equipment is designed exclusively for 300mm wafers and has four loading ports, eight coating chambers and eight developing chambers suitable for 12-inch wafers. The chamber temperature can be accurately controlled to 23°C ±0.1°C, the baking range is 50°C to 250°C, and the wafer breakage rate is less than 1 per 50,000 wafers.

Additionally, the new architecture design, protected by a global patent application, is scalable to support 12 coating chambers and 12 developing chambers, with a wafer production capacity of up to 300 wafers per hour. The wafer production capacity is expected to increase to over 400 wafers per hour with additional coating and developing chambers in the future.