Semiconductor Equipment

Pushing Boundaries with Reliable, High-Performing Interconnects

The semiconductor manufacturing industry is one of the most complex production systems ever developed, requiring hundreds of precisely controlled steps within ultra-clean environments. As a result, the industry requires precision engineering to enable advanced fabrication capabilities.

Even a single particle can compromise a high-value process, potentially causing millions of dollars in damage, impacting device performance, yield, and manufacturing time. A controlled ultra high vacuum (UHV) environment removes airborne contaminants and provides the clean environment needed for reliable operation.

High Voltage Vacuum Feedthrough

Maintaining these vacuum conditions depends on a reliable hermetic seal that keeps moisture, gas, and particulates from entering the system.

Here at Douglas Electrical Components, our engineers work alongside those constantly testing the limits in semiconductor fabrication, designing applications utilizing vacuum, UHV, and cryogenic environments. Over the past 4 decades, we not only innovated in collaboration with our clients, but also looked for additional ways to improve and expand our hermetic feedthrough and connector solutions. As a result, we provide the semiconductor equipment industry value-added engineering, customization capabilities, cryogenics, and reliable, high-performance solutions.

Reliable High Performance

Our hermetic semiconductor electrical pass throughs and connectors are engineered for low outgassing to maintain reliable performance in UHV (pressure below 1×10^-9torr) environments. This includes high-voltage vacuum feedthroughs, PotCon® connectors, and other hermetic assemblies. Each solution is sealed to prevent contamination and ensure long-term reliability.

A UHV environment plays a critical role in semiconductor equipment by removing air, moisture, and contaminants that could interfere with highly sensitive fabrication processes. Many semiconductor manufacturing steps (including deposition, etching, lithography, ion implantation, thin film processing, and packaging) require controlled vacuum conditions to ensure precise material interactions, consistent thin-film formation, and high device reliability. Without a stable vacuum environment, contamination and unwanted chemical reactions could significantly reduce yield and device performance.

As semiconductor technology advances, manufacturers are increasingly turning to cryogenic processes to achieve higher performance, improved efficiency, and tighter process control. By introducing ultra-low temperatures into applications like etching, cryogenics can significantly boost processing speeds while reducing power consumption, making it a valuable tool for next-generation manufacturing. However, these extreme conditions also introduce new challenges, as maintaining reliable electrical performance in vacuum and cryogenic environments becomes more complex. Ensuring consistent signal integrity and long-term reliability under such conditions is critical to fully realizing the benefits of cryogenic technology.

Meeting these stringent requirements is exactly where Douglas Electrical Components proves its value. All products at Douglas Electrical Components undergo 100% quality control testing to ensure reliable performance. Our hermetic sealing technologies create an impermeable barrier that protects assemblies from gas, moisture, and other external contaminants.

Ready for the Most Demanding Conditions

We are fully capable of meeting your cleanliness and outgassing requirements!

• We offer epoxy hermetic seals that are designed to resist harsh environmental conditions such as shock, vibration, and thermal cycles. Our NASA certified low-outgassing epoxy seals are chemically compatible with critical applications where contamination must be minimized.
• Testing has demonstrated vacuum compliance with our proprietary epoxy processing technology, and UHV standards met with an additional standard vacuum bake.
• By utilizing ultra-high vacuum technology, we create the extreme cleanliness and controlled environment required for semiconductor fabrication. Our precision-engineered vacuum electrical feedthroughs provide hermetic seals for electrical connections, ensuring leak-free performance that meets the most stringent specifications.

Contact our engineers today regarding your semiconductor feedthrough requirements.

Integrated Hermetic Sealing and Assembly Expertise

• We can hermetically seal power, signal, and fiber connection points, as well as fully populated printed circuit boards (PCBs), within a single assembly.
• Our technologies can be integrated into complete assembly solutions that include cables, power feedthroughs, wires (including thermocouples), and connectors. These assemblies can be delivered as wire harnesses or as a PortPlate™ multi-port flange assembly.
• Receive expertly designed robust, reliable, and contamination-resistant solutions for demanding applications to protect critical components.

Application Examples

Over the last 4 decades, Douglas has designed solutions for multiple semiconductor equipment applications, including:

• High-current power connections for processing chambers using 750-amp StudSeal™ feedthroughs.
• Compact hermetic power and sensor seals for wafer transfer motor and drive systems.
• Single or multiple optical fiber feedthrough for optical detection of wafer cassette position in load lock.
• Pogo pin feed-through for quick and easy mating to contact pads on PCB. Connectorized wire side for quick and accurate installation.
• Heated paddle subassemblies and multi-cable vacuum penetrations.
• Fully tested turnkey sub-assemblies for wafer-processing equipment like ion etch tools, ion implant systems and in-line vacuum applications
• Deposition systems, Photolithography systems, Etching systems, Ion Implantation systems, Metrology systems, and Handling/Automation systems

Features

• High vacuum containment with low-outgassing epoxy (0.33% TML, 0.00% CVCM).
• Quick turnaround of hermetic feedthroughs, including those with complex cable harnesses and custom flange geometries.
• Typical leakage rates are less than 1×10^-9 cc-He/sec.

Benefits

• Build-to-order.
• Extended sealed connector and cable assemblies.
• Vacuum bake outs for reliable UHV operation.
• Drop-in replacements for common feedthrough components.