News
2024-12-30

Good News! Afilm Semiconductor Delivered the First 12-inch PECVD Amorphous Carbon Equipment "Dubhe" to the Industry Leading Customer




On December 30th, Afilm Semiconductor successfully shipped and delivered the first independently designed and developed 12‑inch Dubhe series plasma enhanced equipment (PECVD Amorphous Carbon hard mask advanced process) to the domestic specialty process customer, which marks a new milestone in the company's business expansion and market penetration, demonstrating a solid step forward in the high‑end semiconductor equipment manufacturing sector.

PECVD

Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) is a core process in semiconductor manufacturing, playing a critical role to ensure the overall device performance and directly determine the reliability and quality of semiconductor devices. Among its key applications, the Amorphous Carbon hard mask (PECVD Carbon) is an essential step in the patterning process for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, offering a high etch selectivity ratio relative to dielectric layers such as polysilicon, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride, enabling customers to achieve patterning with high aspect ratio features. Moreover, the Carbon film can be easily removed in subsequent processes, improving yield and thereby reducing process development costs. Under the current constraints of lithography machines in domestic Fab plants, this film layer will be widely adopted in the field of advanced processes, while also being suitable for specialized process requirements within the broader semiconductor industry.

12‑inch Dubhe Series

Afilm Semiconductor's first 12‑inch Dubhe series plasma enhanced equipment can support customers' amorphous carbon film processes for 90nm, 55nm, 28nm, and below nodes, matching the process specifications of comparable equipment from mainstream foreign manufacturers. It offers advantages such as higher production efficiency and a wider process window. The system is equipped with self‑developed RF control systems, atmospheric and vacuum transfer platforms, as well as proprietary software control systems that can integrate with customers' EAP and MES systems to enable automated and efficient production. The equipment can be widely applied in the manufacturing of logic chips, memory chips, MEMS, power devices, silicon‑based micro‑displays, silicon photonics, and advanced packaging. In addition, Afilm Semiconductor can conduct process development and optimization according to customer needs and provide long‑term technical support.

Multiple R&D Process Equipments

Currently, Afilm Semiconductor's R&D laboratory is equipped with a variety of R&D process equipments, can support customer to verify multiple thin film deposition processes, including PE‑TEOS oxide, BP‑TEOS, PE‑SiH₄ Oxide, PE‑SiN, Carbon and so on. Looking ahead, the company will continue to increase R&D investment, actively attract overseas talents, establish and expand global R&D teams, strengthen technical cooperation and exchanges with customers, develop advanced semiconductor thin film deposition equipment for logic chips, memory chips, MEMS, power devices, silicon-based micro-displays, silicon photonics, and advanced packaging applications, guide and assist customers in process development and product roadmap formulation, and strive to grow into a diversified platform-based semiconductor equipment company in a relatively short time, continuously contributing to breaking foreign technology monopolies and supporting the nation's semiconductor development strategy and technological revitalization.

About AFilm

As a high‑end semiconductor equipment supplier with core independent IP rights, Afilm Semiconductor specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, sales, and technical services of semiconductor front‑end process equipment, and the primary products are thin film deposition process equipments. The company places great emphasis on IP protection. Since its establishment one year ago, it has applied for 15 invention patents, 8 utility model patents, and 2 software copyrights. Multiple inventions and copyrights have been granted and applied to the research, development, and production of thin film deposition equipment. Meanwhile, the company received multiple honors in 2024, such as the Innovative SME, the Jiangsu Province Potential Unicorn Enterprise, the Jiangsu Province Sci‑Tech SME, and the Wuxi Quasi‑Unicorn Enterprise.

Corporate Honors

January 2024Jiangsu Province Key Industries Projects for Private Investment
April 2024Wuxi Innovative SME
September 2024Jiangsu Province Potential Unicorn Enterprise
October 2024

3rd Prize in the Startup Group of the Finals of the 12th "Entrepreneurship 

Jiangsu" Technology Entrepreneurship Competition

November 2024

Excellent Enterprise in the Startup Group of the 13th China Innovation and 

Entrepreneurship Competition National Competition

November 2024Jiangsu Province Sci‑Tech SME
November 2024Jiangsu Province Private Sci‑Tech Enterprise
December 2024

2nd Prize in the Finals of the "Taihu Cup" International Elite Innovation and 

Entrepreneurship Competition

December 2024Listed as a Wuxi Quasi‑Unicorn Enterprise