More Than Simply Volts and Amps

­Over the years, increasing amounts of functionality and features have helped enhance the safety, performance, and reliability of power supplies. This article looks beyond the volts and amps to discuss how digital control and its programmability can benefit semiconductor manufacturing equipment designers.

The semiconductor industry is on the cusp of a significant transformation, driven by AI and data technologies for both training and inferencing. These advancements will be critical in enabling a smart data and AI revolution across various sectors. Heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging are set to enhance the performance and efficiency of semiconductors. EUV lithography will allow for greater miniaturization and precision, facilitating the development of more powerful and efficient chips and the incorporation of new materials will drive innovation in chip design, further boosting functionality and performance.

Sustainability and growth in the semiconductor sector

According to Gartner, the semiconductor industry’s total annual growth might average between 6 and 8% until 2030, resulting in a $1 trillion market. The industry has a growing consensus that new fabs must be more efficient and prioritize renewable energy sources though and adhere to stringent sustainability standards. This shift towards green manufacturing practices is crucial for achieving Net Zero targets and demonstrates a commitment to environmental responsibility. The production of semiconductor chips is particularly energy-intensive – from the initial silicon wafer fabrication to the final testing phase – much of which is currently sourced from fossil fuels.

Wafer fab equipment manufacturers: key trends and requirements

Wafer fab equipment manufacturers demand a swift response from power supply manufacturers during process evaluations, particularly for product samples and modifications. This rapid response is crucial as it directly impacts the ability to secure new business.

Additionally, it is essential to integrate more controls and monitors into the power supply units. This enhancement not only facilitates comprehensive data logging regarding the machine tool’s operational status but also aids in the swift identification and resolution of system issues. The consequences of a power supply failure in a machine tool are severe, with potential downtime leading to substantial financial losses for end customers, often running into millions of dollars.

Common problems associated with new machine builds

Choosing the right power supply for new machine builds can be fraught with challenges. One common issue is the limitation of three-phase infrastructure in many locations, which impacts where and how a new machine tool can be deployed. A power supply with a universal single-phase input ranging from 90-264 VAC solves this problem by offering wider location flexibility, allowing the machine to operate efficiently in environments where three-phase power is unavailable.

Another significant challenge is the inability to control the power supply unit as required by the system and the end application. Designers gain application design flexibility and tailored system integration by choosing a power supply that allows firmware configuration through a graphical user interface (GUI).

Space constraints present another hurdle in high-power applicationsas high power units tend to have a large footprint. System integration and health visibility can also be problematic due to a lack of controls and monitoring capabilities. A PSU with in-built user-defined digital controls, signals, and alarms can significantly optimize system design and reduce maintenance and operating costs by providing real-time insights into the system’s health and allowing for immediate adjustments as needed.

Variability in the connected load can lead to instability and potential damage. A PSU that can auto-toggle between constant current and constant voltage modes offers a safeguard against these issues, protecting both the PSU and the end-user system from damage due to load variability.

The selection of a power supply for new machine builds involves navigating a range of problems from infrastructure limitations to regulatory compliance. By choosing a power supply equipped with features designed to address these specific challenges, manufacturers can achieve greater flexibility, efficiency, and cost effectiveness in their designs.

XP Power’s scalable, digital, and configurable approach

The HP range of compact, flexible, three-phase and single-phase input high power supplies epitomizes XP Power’s scalable, digital and configurable approach. The HP range carries ITE safety approvals and is SEMI F47 compliant. The range is available in optimal space-saving mechanical formats with digital signal processing, multiple communication protocols, full user-configurable functionality, and scalability from 1.5kW to 30kW. For added flexibility, both single-phase and three-phase units are offered with nominal outputs of 24VDC to 200VDC.

The HPT series of 5kW power supplies, which was introduced in 2019, features a three-phase, three-wire, 180-528VAC input that simplifies installation as there is no need for a neutral connection, which is often not available in semiconductor manufacturing facilities. With the introduction of the HPA series, two years later, a single-phase 1.5kW unit, XP Power addressed the need for units that offer both constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) operation along with programmability, flexibility, and user configurability. In 2023, XP Power launched the HPF series of 3kW power supplies to address the need for semiconductor manufacturing equipment requiring increasing levels of sophistication and power.

All power supply units within the HP range have a unique digital ID, so end users can control and monitor each of them individually in a multi-unit system solution. The robust digital architecture has evolved to offer sophisticated features aimed at enhancing performance and safety. This includes implementing slew rate control to mitigate voltage and current overshoot, ensuring the system's stability.

Moreover, a unified GUI achieves a common look and feel across all HP series, streamlining the user experience across the board. The units integrate programmable fault detection and response mechanisms, complete with a record option to track and analyze incidents. Users are kept informed through alarms and alerts for output voltage, current, and temperature deviations, ensuring proactive measures can be taken.

Application examples

In semiconductor manufacturing reproducing the precise performance characteristics and operating parameters of the power supply is a particular requirement to ensure consistency, quality, and reliability in the application.

Dry etching offers superior precision and anisotropy over wet etching making it suitable for advanced microfabrication applications, particularly in the manufacturing of semiconductors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and integrated circuits (ICs). Dry etching involves the use of gases or plasmas to etch materials, which are chemically resistant and therefore cannot be wetly etched, such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN). A typical dry etcher system requires a 3kW power supply that delivers a voltage of 36VDC, which the HPF series accommodates. For wafer test systems, which generally require 6kW, 48VDC, two HPF units can operate in parallel via a single bus.

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Figure 2: Replicating the power supply's exact performance and operating parameters in semiconductor manufacturing is essential for consistency, quality, and reliability.

Conclusion

The integration of digital control and programmability into power supplies is revolutionizing the semiconductor manufacturing industry by enhancing equipment safety, performance, and reliability. As the sector continues to experience rapid growth, the adoption of digital features in power supplies is not just a trend but a necessity. XP Power’s scalable, digital, and configurable approach, particularly through its HP range of power supplies, exemplifies this forward-thinking strategy.

These advancements allow engineers to save significant time during the design and development phases, while also maximizing equipment uptime in the field. The ability to enable proactive predictive maintenance ensures that equipment can operate with higher efficiency and reliability, reducing the risk of costly downtime and fostering a more sustainable manufacturing environment.

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