Hexoloy Semiconductor Components

Hexoloy is a dense, alpha-SiC, produced by high-temperature, pressureless sintering of a high-purity, submicron SiC powder mixed with sintering aids. The sintering process results in a single-phase, fine-grain product that is very pure and uniform, and densified to 98% of theoretical density.

Capabilities

The many advantages of Hexoloy include:

• Lightness in weight
• High hardness
• Resistance to wear and corrosion
• Excellent tribological behavior
• Strength retention at high temperature
• High thermal conductivity exceeding that of other high-performance ceramics and many metal alloys.
• Hexoloy silicon carbide components are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes, quoted to individual customer drawings. CNC grinding capability allows tight tolerances to be held.

Applications

New applications for Hexoloy in high technology industries include components for semiconductor wafer processing such as vacuum chucks, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) blocks, and susceptors.

These applications take advantage of Hexoloy silicon carbide's thermal expansion match to silicon, high elastic modulus, chemical inertness allowing economic benefits of maintenance and reuse, and high thermal conductivity for even, rapid heating of the silicon wafer.

Hexoloy silicon carbide is well suited as a structural material for low mass wafer carrier components and rigid, dimensionally stable platforms with exceptional flatness for wafer lapping and polishing.