SMAC obtains patent for 'Semiconductor Wafer Polishing and Cleaning Automation Device'

Smack, a specialized company in machine tools, industrial robots, and information and communication equipment, announced on the 22nd that it has obtained a patent related to an automatic polishing and cleaning device for semiconductor wafer specimens.

The wafer chip polishing and cleaning device patented by Smack polishes semiconductor wafer specimens without chemical abrasives, making it environmentally friendly. The polishing and cleaning device is equipped with a dual type, increasing production volume. Existing devices used a single type with chemical abrasives, performing polishing and cleaning separately, which caused environmental pollution issues.

Polishing, cleaning, and drying operations can be integrated and performed continuously within a single piece of equipment. The wafer chip is stably fixed and rotated on a plate, enabling uniform and precise processing of the inspection area of the wafer chip specimen.

According to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), the global semiconductor equipment market size is expected to reach $124 billion (approximately 169 trillion KRW) by 2025, marking a record high. Smack has already expanded its lineup of machine tools specialized for the semiconductor market as a result of years of research and development (R&D) investment. Beyond machine tools, with the acquisition of the semiconductor polishing equipment patent, Smack plans to accelerate its performance growth by strengthening the supply of various dedicated equipment to the rapidly growing domestic and overseas semiconductor equipment markets.

A Smack representative said, “Smack’s semiconductor wafer equipment can perform multiple specimen process operations simultaneously, enabling customized polishing and cleaning work, which is attracting attention in the market. The automation of a series of operations allows flexible response to increased semiconductor production and will significantly contribute to sales growth due to expanded investment in quality analysis equipment.”

Meanwhile, Smack has secured a total of 62 patents in machine tools, ICT divisions, and robotics, and continues to invest in the semiconductor equipment field to further strengthen its proprietary technology domain.