Semiconductor

Semiconductor processes ask more of a UV source than most. The wavelength has to match the photoinitiator or photoresist, the light has to be uniform across the whole wafer or substrate, and the part must not heat up. A UV LED emits at a wavelength set by its semiconductor material, with no infrared in the beam, so it delivers exactly the light the process needs and little else.

Semiconductors are a focus of Awellcure's development: in 2025 and 2026 the Manufacturer is expanding its UV research for semiconductors and optical modules.

Where it is used

• UV tape release: after dicing, a UV tape curing system irradiates the dicing tape on 200 mm (8 in) or 300 mm (12 in) wafers at 365 nm from below. The tape's adhesive cures and loses its tack, so the dies can be picked cleanly.
• Chip packaging: curing the adhesives and encapsulants that protect and fix the chip in its package.
• Protective coatings and wafer masks: moisture-proof coatings and masks cured in seconds, at low temperature.
• UV exposure: UV light passes through a mask and lens onto a photoresist. After developing and etching, the pattern is transferred to the substrate. The same principle is used to make microfluidic chips.
• Large-area scanning: a linear light source moves across the substrate and irradiates large areas evenly in one pass.

What the process needs

• The right wavelength: photoresists and UV adhesives react at fixed wavelengths. Confirm the response wavelength of the material first, then choose the light source.
• Uniformity: intensity can differ between the centre and the edge of the irradiated area, which shows up directly in yield. Fly's-eye lenses spread a point source into an even field, and collimating lenses produce parallel light for exposure. Awellcure has put a highly uniform exposure light source with a half angle of 1.5° into series production.
• Low heat: UV LED sources cure without infrared, so heat-sensitive materials and thin substrates stay undamaged.
• Verification: a UV radiometer checks irradiance and dose across the wafer, so you can prove the process stays within its window.

For a step-by-step approach to wavelength, dose and geometry, read How to choose a UV lamp.