Process Technologies for Semiconductor & Compound Materials Manufacturing

FAQ's 

• What semiconductor process technologies does IES supply equipment for?

  IES supplies twelve core process technologies covering the full semiconductor and compound materials fabrication flow: atomic layer deposition, chemical vapour deposition, metal deposition, lithography, nanoimprint lithography, wafer bonding, ion beam technology, plasma etch, plasma treatment, Parylene coating, rapid thermal processing, and metrology.

• Which process technology should I use to deposit a thin film?

  The right thin-film deposition method depends on the material and precision required: atomic layer deposition (ALD) for atomic-scale thickness control and conformal coverage, chemical vapour deposition (CVD) for a wide range of materials with good step coverage, and metal deposition (typically sputtering) for conductive layers such as contacts and interconnects.

• What's the difference between plasma etch and plasma treatment?

  Plasma etch deliberately removes material to define patterns, trenches or vias, while plasma treatment modifies only a surface's cleanliness, adhesion or wettability without removing material — both use reactive plasma but serve different purposes in the fabrication process.

• Does IES manufacture this equipment itself?

  No. IES is an equipment partner, supplying process technologies through named manufacturing partners including Veeco, EV Group, scia Systems, Alpha Plasma, Surface Science Integration, and Plasma Parylene Systems, and providing UK and European relocation, installation, commissioning and ongoing technical support.

• Can I get a demonstration of these process technologies before committing to a purchase?

  Yes. IES can arrange live or online demonstrations at its partners' application labs across Europe and the US, tailored to a specific process or a full solution evaluation.