Recently, Qingdao Xinsheng Micro Nano Electronic Technology Co., LtdQingdao Xinsheng has made significant breakthroughs in gas mass flow controllers (MFCs), overcoming the key technical barriers that have long hindered the development of domestic semiconductor grade MFCs. They have successfully developed two semiconductor grade MFC products based on high-speed piezoelectric proportional valves, which have good accuracy, reliability, and stability five times that of existing products.

　　Why develop semiconductor gradeMFC?

MFC， The mass flow controller is a precision instrument capable of accurately measuring and controlling fluid mass flow, and is a key functional unit to ensure process accuracy and product consistency. MFC plays a crucial role in various stages of semiconductor technologyimportantIts function, for example, in the process of etching, coating, etc., is to monitor or adjust the flow rate of each component of the mixed gas and the vacuum degree of the equipment in real time, ensuring the accurate proportion of the mixed gas; In the material cleaning process, it is used to control the nitrogen flow rate during the manufacturing process to ensure the effectiveness of cleaning and drying; Used for long-term stable control of environmental gas cleanliness and wind speed in infrastructure such as ultra clean rooms. To ensure the stability of the semiconductor manufacturing process and product quality, MFC products are usually required to have high precision, high stability, high reliability, and the ability to respond quickly.

In recent years, JapanHoriba、 Brooks and other companies in the United States have successively launched piezoelectric ceramic proportional valves and semiconductor grade MFC products based on piezoelectric proportional valves, which not only improve response speed but also significantly reduce issues such as performance degradation, heat generation, and gas leakage during long-term use. Although some domestic companies have achieved good development, their products still mainly use traditional electromagnetic proportional valve technology, and their product strength is insufficient to meet the high-precision, high reliability, and fast response needs of the semiconductor industry. Recently, high-quality piezoelectric driven flow measurement and control technology with high reliability and fast response has been monopolized by foreign countries, with high prices and the risk of supply interruption at any time, leading to safety threats to key core components in important semiconductor equipment in the country.

During the six-year US China trade war, China's semiconductor industry achieved rapid development through measures such as increasing independent innovation efforts, promoting coordinated development of the industry chain, actively participating in international cooperation, and obtaining policy support and capital investment. Meanwhile, with the improvement of semiconductor manufacturing processes and the growth of market demandThe demand for localization of MFC will continue to increase. Therefore, developing semiconductor grade MFCs and promoting the localization of this core component are crucial for ensuring the security of the national semiconductor industry chain.

　S700 Internal Structure Diagram

　　Qingdao Xinsheng's Strength Geometry?

Qingdao Xinsheng focuses onGas flow measurement and control technology, aiming to becomegoodA semiconductor component supplier. The core team of the company comes from SingaporeA*STAR、 Key domestic and international research institutions such as KIT, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongji University, and Shandong University have mastered the full chain independent core technologies of core flow sensing chips, modules, algorithms, and system integration. At present, the company has 23 inventions, 14 utility models, and over 50 first-class metrology certificates; Undertaking 2 national key research and development plans of the Ministry of Science and Technology and 1 key research and development plan (major scientific and technological innovation project) of Shandong Province; We have established the "Qingdao Xinsheng Shandong University Sensor Measurement and Control Joint Laboratory", "Qingdao Key Laboratory of Gas Flow Measurement and Control Technology", and "Qingdao Expert Workstation for Gas Flow Measurement and Control Technology" research and development platforms, as well as an 800 square meter research and development workshop, a 4000 square meter manufacturing workshop, and more than 100 flow calibration equipment; Has quality management and manufacturing certifications such as IS09001 and IS014001.

The stability of the market depends on the strong guarantee of product quality. After years of cultivation, Qingdao Xinsheng has formedThe mature and stable product lines of S300 series, UT series, E series, etc. have achieved localization substitution in many fields such as photovoltaics, environmental protection, and medical care, and have been unanimously recognized by the market. Now, two semiconductor specific flow meters, S700 and DF500, have been added to the semiconductor market and are beginning to expand their presence. When talking about the advantages of the company and its products, Dr. Tao Jifang, the founder of the company, said, "As a local sensor company, Qingdao Xinsheng's advantages mainly include three points: firstly, our team is excellent enough, and everyone has outstanding abilities and rich experience; secondly, we have a good ecological environment, and the quality and quantity of our products cannot be delivered without the strong support of upstream partners, as well as close cooperation with downstream customers; finally, Qingdao Xinsheng has always maintained high-intensity research and development and manufacturing investment, and research and development investment enables us to maintain technologyadvancedManufacturing investment ensures the quality of our products. Not being caught up in the low-end market is the key to breaking through, "Dr. Tao Jifang added.

　　Qingdao Xinsheng's new product will debut2024 Semiconductor and Core Components Exhibition

　　This is far from enough, "said Dr. Lin, the head of the R&D center of Qingdao Xinsheng Company, when talking about the company's semiconductor grade MFC new products." Although the company has already established a place in the photovoltaic market and obtained stable orders, our capabilities and goals are not limited to this. We will tackle the core components of semiconductor equipment one by one, and this time's S700 and DF500 are one of the major breakthroughs.

The two newly developed products by Qingdao Xinsheng both adopt high-speed piezoelectric proportional valve technology and dynamic pressure fluctuation compensation technology,The piezoelectric proportional valve is the core control component in MFC, forming a closed loop with the flow sensor to achieve dynamic and rapid adjustment of gas flow, "Dr. Lin said." Compared with the mainstream electromagnetic proportional valves in China, piezoelectric proportional valves have fast response, high control accuracy, and extremely low power consumption and thermal noise. We have been developing piezoelectric proportional valves since 2021, and have achieved key technological breakthroughs and mass production solutions such as piezoelectric ceramic stack design, actuator structure optimization, and all metal sealing. The performance and consistency of proportional valves are very good.

To meet different application needs, Qingdao Xinsheng has developed two different products, with the following differences:

The focus of the two products is slightly different, among which,DF500 has advantages in precision and response time in small flow control, making it suitable for advanced 7nm/14nm processes; The S700 has a wider range of options and operating temperatures, making it suitable for general processes. Both products use the company's latest developed adaptive dynamic control algorithm, and customers can choose according to their actual needs. Both MFCs use semiconductor grade double-V materials and EP processing, which meet SEMI requirements, "Dr. Lin said." Both products will be showcased at the Semiconductor Equipment and Core Components Exhibition on September 25th, and new and old customers are welcome to exchange ideas

　　Summary:

At the semiconductor levelOn the MFC track, China started relatively late in research, and its technology and products are constrained by Western countries, seriously threatening the integrity and security of China's semiconductor industry chain. At present, Qingdao Xinsheng has completed the challenge of transitioning from 0 to 1. The next step is how to better achieve a leap from 1 to 100. The rise of domestic manufacturers such as Qingdao Xinsheng not only represents the improvement of domestic technological level, but also indicates that China will have stronger competitiveness in the global high-tech field.