Semiconductor

The semiconductor industry is flourishing as it builds its way out of the shortages caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and related supply-chain issues. IDC forecasts that the global semiconductor market will reach $600 billion by 2025, representing an average CAGR of 5.3%, which contrasts with the typical 3 to 4% CAGR seen historically. The firm cites mobile phones, notebooks, servers, automobiles, smart-home devices, gaming devices, wearables, and Wi-Fi access points as key growth drivers.

Global demand for semiconductor equipment is also thriving. SEMI has been consistently reporting record quarter-over-quarter billings for the equipment necessary to make chips for communications, computing, healthcare, online-services, and automotive applications.

AMETEK Programmable Power designs and manufactures programmable power supplies that serve a variety of frontend and backend semiconductor manufacturing and test applications. As an example of the former, the supplies can power the ion-implantation equipment used to produce LED wafers. Backend applications include burn-in and test, for which AMETEK Programmable Power supplies can deliver precise, programmed voltage over an extended burn-in period. Yet another backend application is final functional test, which requires supplies that can deliver high instantaneous currents. Programmable supplies can also support characterization and reliability tests of discrete power-semiconductor devices, including GaAs FETs and GaN FETs.

AMETEK Programmable Power offers a wide range of stable, reliable standard DC power supplies for semiconductor applications:

• The 4kW to 30kW air-cooled Sorensen SGX Series supplies offer a high power density (up to 15 kW in a 3U chassis) and operate over wide voltage ranges. SGX supplies offer the reliability, stability, and regulation required for demanding frontend ion-implantation and backend chip burn-in and test applications.

• The water-cooled ASD FLX Series can deliver up to 30kW at standard ratings of 40 to 160V from a 3U chassis while minimizing output ripple and noise. The water-cooling allows ASD FLX models to operate in harsh environments that preclude the use of air-cooled power supplies.

• The Sorensen HPX High Power Extensible DC Series delivers 36kW to 240kW with low noise and ripple and fast transient response to meet the needs of a wide range of semiconductor-processing applications.

In addition, AMETEK Programmable Power offers custom engineered solutions for semiconductor applications. One example is the OEM DC Power System for Semiconductor Manufacturing, which offers six 600W power supplies and self-contained controller in a single package to provide the power to electro-polish 300mm wafers.

For applications extending from frontend manufacturing to backend test and for devices extending from complex processors to discrete GaAs and GaN FETs, AMETEK Programmable Power stands ready to apply its decades of experience to serve this dynamic industry.

For related information, view our Semiconductor Infographic here or visit the Semiconductor industry page of VTI Instruments, an AMETEK Programmable Power brand.