Semes Begins Mass Production of Second 'Omega Prime' for Semiconductor Photolithography Process

First Domestic Development Case of Japan TEL Exclusive Equipment
Next Model Development After Mass Production of First Unit Last Year

Semes, a semiconductor equipment company, announced on the 24th that it will begin full-scale mass production of the second unit of the 'Argon Fluoride Immersion Spinner (Equipment name: Omega Prime),' a semiconductor photo process track equipment developed for the first time in Korea.

Semes' successful mass production of the immersion spinner (equipment name: Omega Prime) /
[Photo by Semes]

The spinner plays a role in evenly applying photoresist to wafers to form fine circuits (patterns) in the semiconductor manufacturing process, exposing them to light in the exposure machine, and then developing them again. Tokyo Electron (TEL), Japan's largest semiconductor equipment company, holds more than 90% of the related market share.

Semes, which had been producing Krypton Fluoride (KrF) spinners, newly developed Argon Fluoride Immersion (ArF-i) equipment to respond to high-performance exposure machines with shorter wavelength linewidths, and shipped the first mass-produced unit last year. This was essentially a challenge to the market that Japan had monopolized.

The Argon Fluoride immersion equipment is a "3-high" (high cleanliness, high productivity, high precision) device. Semes applied an automation system to the equipment for robot position adjustment and bake temperature setting. It also includes specialized technologies such as vision monitoring function systems and automatic bake correction.

Choi Gil-hyun, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Semes, said, "The development of Omega Prime, a core semiconductor process equipment, will have a significant import substitution effect in the future," and added, "We will continue to present unique and differentiated equipment focused on high added value and become a technology innovation company."