Precision and cleanroom compliance are critical to semiconductor manufacturing operations. New Way® Air Bearings offers several products ideal for the stringent requirements for semiconductor applications including:

• Wafer Inspection
• Wafer Repair
• Wafer Probing
• Ion Implantation
• Cleanroom-Compliant Manufacturing

Our Porous Media Technology™ delivers non-contact motion via a stiff, consistent cushion of air. This removes the need for lubrication, and enables nano-level precision at high speeds. The perfectly even distribution of the air minimizes concerns of crashes and their damaging effects.

New Way products also meet Class 1 (ISO class 3) cleanliness, with airborne particulate concentrate limits of less than 1,000 x 0.1μm particles /m3. Our porous carbon design serves as a sub-micron filter for particulates, eliminating concerns of contamination and outgassing concerns.

Meeting the Challenges of Chip Shortages

As supply chain issues borne from the Covid-19 pandemic drag on and escalate, the semiconductor industry has been among the most heavily impacted. The global chip shortage is affecting everything from automobiles to consumer electronics and graphics cards. Air Bearings offer unique solutions to the challenges of efficiency and throughput, which this current manufacturing strain has flared up in virtually every industry it touches.

Non-contact motion gives the semiconductor manufacturing sector an opportunity to change for the long-term. With the ease of retrofitting offered by our products and inhouse services, it’s never been easier to take advantage of the speed, reliability, and precision of Porous Media. This unique combination of features inherent to all New Way products affords semiconductor manufacturers the opportunity to improve operational efficiencies without sacrificing precision and quality.

Applications for the Semiconductor Industry

Linear Motion

New Way offers several products designed for the straightness and short-stroke linear motion operations for wafer production in the semiconductor industry. Our flat round and flat rectangular bearings were originally designed for use in Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM), holding a high standard of precision suitable for the semiconductor industry. Vacuum Preloaded Air Bearings are a permutation of the flat round air bearing. VPLs enable optimization of the fly-height and stiffness through adjustment of vacuum and pressure.

Our large range of Air Bushings coupled with a shaft allows semiconductor customers to construct linear stages, delivering precision without the impacts of heat often experienced from ball-bearing systems.

Linear Air Slides are a popular choice among our semiconductor customers as they provide an integrated guide and bearing system. New Way offers several different styles of slides, all of which offer improved performance over traditional conventional rolling element bearing-based slides.

Rotary Motion

New Way offers several options for precision rotary tables, accommodating a range of precision, for use in wafer inspection and other semiconductor manufacturing operations.

Depending on your requirements, Air Bushings can be paired with our Flat Round Air Bearings to create a precision rotary table. Additionally, Air Spindles can be used to provide the next level of precision for a rotary solution. Each of these solutions is capable of being paired with a motor/encoder to meet your desired specifications.

New Way also offers Servo-Driven Rotary Stages, a fully integrated solution, featuring New Way Air Spindles combined with a brushless, slotless motor, and an encoder offered in standard and high-resolution. Servo Driven Rotary Stages offer 1.1 arcsecond precision of motion, and with their ease of retrofit, are ideal for semiconductor inspection stages

Conveying

Air Bars provide a non-contact method for conveying wafers, suitable for use in a cleanroom environment. New Way offers several different types of Air Bars, which offer varying levels of control, including our Precision Zone Air Bars, which is ideal for wafer probing and inspection.

Benefits of Air Bearings

Questions

Contact us today if you have questions on how our Porous Media air bearings can enhance your semiconductor operations. Tell us more about your application today, and receive a complimentary consultation!