In the era of rapid technological advancement, 3D printing, as an important representative of advanced manufacturing technology, is gradually changing the face of traditional manufacturing industry. With the continuous maturity of technology and cost reduction, 3D printing technology has shown broad application prospects in various fields such as aerospace, automotive manufacturing, medical equipment, and architectural design, and has promoted innovation and development in these industries.

It is worth noting that the potential impact of 3D printing technology in the high-tech field of semiconductors is becoming increasingly prominent. As the cornerstone of information technology development, the precision and efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing processes affect the performance and cost of electronic products. Faced with the demand for high precision, high complexity, and rapid iteration in the semiconductor industry, 3D printing technology, with its unique advantages, has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges to semiconductor manufacturing, and gradually penetrated into various links of the semiconductor industry chain, indicating that the semiconductor industry will soon usher in a profound transformation.

Therefore, analyzing and exploring the future application of 3D printing technology in the semiconductor industry not only helps us grasp the development pulse of this cutting-edge technology, but also provides technical support and reference for the upgrading of the semiconductor industry. This article analyzes the latest developments in 3D printing technology and its potential applications in the semiconductor industry, and looks forward to how this technology can drive the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

3D printing technology

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing technology, is based on the principle of building three-dimensional entities by stacking materials layer by layer. This innovative production method overturns the traditional manufacturing mode of "reducing materials" or "equal materials", and can "integrate" products without the need for mold assistance. There are various types of 3D printing technologies, each with its own advantages.

According to the forming principles of 3D printing technology, there are mainly four types.

UV curing technology is based on the principle of UV polymerization, which solidifies liquid photosensitive materials through UV light and stacks them layer by layer. Currently, this technology can form ceramics, metals, and resins with high molding accuracy and can be applied in medical, art, and aviation industries.

Melted deposition technology uses a computer-driven print head to heat and melt silk materials, while extruding them along a specific shape trajectory and accumulating layer by layer to form plastic and ceramic materials.

Slurry direct writing technology uses high viscosity slurry as ink material, stored in a barrel and connected to an extrusion needle, and installed on a platform that can complete three-dimensional motion under computer control. By using mechanical or pneumatic pressure, the ink material is continuously extruded from the needle onto the substrate to form, and then subjected to corresponding post-treatment (solvent evaporation, thermal curing, photopolymerization, sintering, etc.) based on the material properties to obtain the final three-dimensional component. At present, this technology can be applied in the fields of bioceramics and food processing.

Powder bed fusion technology can be divided into laser selective melting technology (SLM) and laser selective sintering technology (SLS). Both technologies use powder materials as processing objects, among which SLM has higher laser energy, which can cause powder to melt and solidify in a short period of time. SLS can be divided into direct SLS and indirect SLS. Direct SLS has higher energy and can directly sinter or melt particles to form bonding between particles. Therefore, direct SLS is similar to SLM, as powder particles undergo rapid heating and cooling in a short period of time, resulting in high internal stress, low overall density, and poor mechanical properties of the formed block; The laser energy of indirect SLS is relatively low. The adhesive in the powder is melted by the laser beam and bonded to the particles. After forming, the internal adhesive is removed by thermal degreasing and finally sintered. Powder bed fusion technology can form metals and ceramics, and is currently applied in the fields of aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

Figure 1 (a) UV curing technology; (b) Melting deposition technology; (c) Slurry direct writing technology; (d) Powder bed fusion technology [1,2]

With the continuous development of 3D printing technology, its advantages are constantly being demonstrated from prototype production to final products. Firstly, in terms of the degree of freedom in product structure design, the most significant advantage of 3D printing technology is its ability to directly manufacture complex structures of workpieces. Furthermore, in terms of material selection for the formed object, 3D printing technology can print various materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, etc. 3D printing technology has a high degree of flexibility in the manufacturing process, and can adjust the manufacturing process and parameters according to actual needs.

Semiconductor industry

The semiconductor industry plays a crucial role in modern technology and economy, and its importance is reflected in multiple aspects. Semiconductors are used to construct miniaturized circuits, enabling devices to perform complex computational and data processing tasks.   It not only directly promotes the development of the electronic manufacturing industry, but also drives the growth of industries such as software development and hardware design. In addition, in the military and defense fields, semiconductor technology is crucial for key equipment such as communication systems, radar, and satellite navigation, ensuring national security and military advantage.

Chart 2 "14th Five Year Plan" (selected) [3]

Therefore, the semiconductor industry has become an important indicator of national competitiveness, and countries are actively researching and developing it. China's 14th Five Year Plan proposes to focus on supporting various key "bottleneck" links in the semiconductor industry, mainly including advanced processes, key equipment, third-generation semiconductors, and other fields.

Figure 3 Semiconductor Chip Processing Process [4]

The manufacturing process of semiconductor chips is extremely complex, as shown in Figure 3, which mainly includes the following key steps: wafer preparation, photolithography, etching, thin film deposition, ion implantation, and packaging testing. Each process requires strict control and precise measurement, and any problem in any link may lead to chip damage or performance degradation. Therefore, semiconductor manufacturing has very high requirements for equipment, processes, and personnel.

Although traditional semiconductor manufacturing has achieved great success, there are still some limitations:

Firstly, semiconductor chips have a high degree of integration and miniaturization. With the continuation of Moore's Law (Figure 4), the integration level of semiconductor chips continues to increase, component sizes continue to shrink, and manufacturing processes require extremely high precision and stability.

Figure 4 (a) shows that the number of transistors in the chip continuously increases over time; (b) The chip size continues to shrink [5]

In addition, the complexity and cost control in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The semiconductor manufacturing process is complex and relies on precision equipment, and every step requires accurate control. The high equipment cost, material cost, and research and development cost result in high manufacturing costs for semiconductor products. Therefore, continuous exploration is needed to reduce costs while ensuring product yield.

At the same time, the semiconductor manufacturing industry needs to respond quickly to market demand, as market demand changes rapidly. The traditional manufacturing model has problems with long cycles and poor flexibility, making it difficult to meet the rapid iteration of products in the market. Therefore, more efficient and flexible manufacturing methods have also become the development direction of the semiconductor industry.

The Application of 3D Printing in the Semiconductor Industry

In the semiconductor field, 3D printing technology continues to demonstrate its applications.

Firstly, 3D printing technology has a high degree of freedom in structural design and can achieve "integrated" molding, which means that finer and more complex structures can be designed. Figure 5 (a) shows that the 3D system optimizes the internal heat dissipation structure through manual design assistance, improves the thermal stability of the wafer stage, reduces the thermal stability time of the wafer, and improves the yield and efficiency of chip production. There are also complex pipelines inside the lithography machine, which can be "integrated" into complex pipeline structures through 3D printing, reducing the use of hoses and optimizing fluid flow in gas pipelines, thereby reducing the negative effects of mechanical interference and vibration, and improving the stability of chip processing.

Figure 5: 3D System Parts Formed by 3D Printing (a) Lithography Machine Round Table; (b) Manifold pipeline [6]

In terms of material selection, 3D printing technology can achieve materials that are difficult to form using traditional processing methods. Silicon carbide materials have high hardness and melting point, and traditional processing methods are difficult to form. The production cycle is long, and the formation of complex structures requires mold assisted processing. Sublimation 3D developed an independent dual nozzle 3D printer UPS-250 and prepared a silicon carbide crystal boat. After reaction sintering, the product density was 2.95-3.02g/cm3.

Figure 6: Silicon Carbide Crystal Boat [7]

Figure 7 (a) 3D co printing equipment; (b) Ultraviolet light is used to construct three-dimensional structures, while laser is used to generate silver nanoparticles; (c) Principle of 3D co printing electronic components [8]

The traditional electronic product process is complex, requiring multiple process steps from raw materials to finished products. Xiao et al. [8] selectively constructed bulk structures or embedded conductive metals on free-form surfaces using 3D co printing technology to manufacture 3D electronic devices. In this technology, only one type of printing material is involved, which can be cured by ultraviolet light for the construction of polymer structures, or activated by laser scanning to generate nano metal particles from metal precursors in photosensitive resins, forming conductive circuits. Moreover, the obtained conductive circuit exhibits superior resistivity as low as approximately 6.12 μ Ω m. By adjusting the material formula and processing parameters, the resistivity can be further controlled between 10-6 and 10 Ω m. From this, it can be seen that 3D co printing technology has solved the challenge of requiring multi material deposition in traditional manufacturing and opened up a new path for manufacturing 3D electronic products.

Chip packaging is a crucial step in semiconductor manufacturing. Traditional packaging technology still faces problems such as complex process, thermal management failure, and stress caused by mismatched thermal expansion coefficients between materials leading to packaging failure. 3D printing technology can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs by directly printing packaging structures. Feng et al. [9] prepared phase change electronic packaging materials and combined them with 3D printing technology to package chips and circuits. The phase change electronic packaging material prepared by Feng et al. has a high latent heat of 145.6 J/g and significant thermal stability at a temperature of 130 ℃. Compared with traditional electronic packaging materials, its cooling effect can reach 13 ℃.

Figure 8: Schematic diagram of precise encapsulation of circuits using phase change electronic materials with 3D printing technology; (b) The LED chip on the left has been encapsulated with phase change electronic packaging material, while the LED chip on the right has not been encapsulated; (c) Infrared images of LED chips with and without packaging; (d) Temperature curves under the same power and different packaging materials; (e) Complex circuit without LED chip packaging diagram; (f) Schematic diagram of heat dissipation of phase change electronic packaging materials [9]

The Challenges of 3D Printing Technology in the Semiconductor Industry

Although 3D printing technology has shown great potential in the semiconductor industry. However, there are still many challenges at present.

In terms of molding accuracy, the current 3D printing technology can achieve an accuracy of 20 μ m, but it is still difficult to meet the high standard requirements of semiconductor manufacturing.

In terms of material selection, although 3D printing technology can form various types of materials, the difficulty of forming certain special performance materials (such as silicon carbide, silicon nitride, etc.) is still relatively high.

In terms of production costs, 3D printing performs well in small-scale customized production, but its production speed is relatively slow in large-scale production, and equipment costs are high, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production.

In terms of technology, although 3D printing technology has achieved certain development results, it is still an emerging technology in some fields and requires further research and improvement to enhance its stability and reliability.

Summary and Prospect

In general, 3D printing technology shows significant progressiveness in its structural design, material selection and manufacturing process. The continuous innovation of 3D printing technology has driven its application in the semiconductor industry. Expand the application scope of 3D printing technology in the semiconductor industry by increasing molding accuracy, improving material formability, reducing production costs, and enhancing production reliability.

In the current context of globalization, the semiconductor industry has become a key indicator for measuring international competitiveness. With the advancement of traditional semiconductor manufacturing, its inherent limitations are gradually becoming apparent and prompting deep reflection in the industry. Meanwhile, with the continuous optimization of 3D printing technology, it has gradually demonstrated its significant advantages in the manufacturing industry. Looking ahead to the future, 3D printing technology has the potential to completely change the face of the entire traditional manufacturing industry. It is expected that in the near future, when this technology becomes more mature, the semiconductor industry will also undergo a transformation driven by 3D printing. At that time, the production of semiconductor products will become more efficient, and personalized customization can also be carried out according to specific needs.

Reference

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[5] M. Mitchell Waldrop.  The chips are down for Moore’s law[EB/OL].  (2016-02-09)[2024-07-12].  https://www.nature.com/news/the-chips-are-down-for-moore-s-law-1.19338

[6] 3D SYSTEM.  Additive Manufacturing for Semiconductor Capital Equipment[EB/OL].  [2024-07-12].  https://www.3dsystems.com/semiconductor

[7] Huasheng 3D Marketing Department [Application Development] Huasheng 3D assists in the development of RBSC silicon carbide crystal boats for semiconductor processes [EB/OL] (2024-07-04)[2024-07-12].  https://www.uprise3d.cn/cn_news/details-125.html

[8] J. Xiao, D. Zhang, Q. Guo, J. Yang, 3D Co‐Printing of 3D Electronics with a Dual Light Source Technology, Advanced Materials Technologies 6(9) (2021).  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/admt.202100039

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