centrotherm thermal solutions, a manufacturer of thermal processing systems located in Blaubeuren, Germany, made an exhibition at the European Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ECSCRM), held in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, September 3rd to 7th, 2006. This conference was attended by the world’s leading experts in the development and manufacturing of Silicon Carbide electronic devices. The company introduced its new CHV 100 system for the high temperature activation annealing of Al implants in Silicon Carbide.

“Many interested customers from Europe, Japan, Asia and North America visited our exhibition booth and were quite surprised with the performance of centrotherm’s CHV 100 system”. This product was developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute in Erlangen”, said Uwe Keim, Product Manager for Silicon Carbide Processing Systems at centrotherm thermal solutions. Silicon Carbide (SiC) electronic devices differ from Silicon (Si) due to their ability to operate at temperatures up to 600 C. The capability of this material to operate at such high temperatures enables a new generation of devices to enter the industry for MEMS, automotive and jet engine exhaust sensors, power management for hybrid automobiles and commercial air conditioning systems as well as reduced size and increased reliability for switching power supplies used in computers.

Numerous new customer contacts were developed at the exhibition due to the rapid rise in semiconductor manufacturing firms now embracing SiC as an essential material for power electronics. These contacts include the world’s largest manufacturers of power electronic devices, as well as automobiles, in Europe, Japan and the United States.

The CHV 100 is the world’s first mass production high temperature annealing furnace developed specifically for processing SiC electronic materials. This vertical furnace is capable of processing up to 50 wafers in a batch consisting of 2”, 3” or 4” wafers or combination thereof in the same process run. The small footprint of this furnace, about 1.3m2, combined with the large batch size provides the customer a cost reduction of approximately 5x, compared to competitors’ systems for Al implant activation annealing in SiC. The system flexibility in wafer diameter and process capability is a crucial advantage of the CHV 100 that enables the customer to develop individual processes as well as use the system for mass production.

For further information, new inquiries and customer support please contact:

centrotherm thermal solutions GmbH & Co. KG

Johannes-Schmid-Straße 8
89143 Blaubeuren
Germany

T +49 7344 9186-913
F +49 7344 9186-387
E-Mail