Semiconductor equipment
Explore the machines that turn wafers into semiconductor devices — what each does, where it sits in the process, and why it matters.
Start here
New to fabs? Follow the wafer’s journey step by step, then walk the full process in the interactive explorer.
Explore by process
Already know the flow? Jump straight to the equipment by process step.
The wafer’s journey
A wafer passes through many machines on its way to becoming a chip. This is the typical shape of the flow — layers repeat many times, and not every process uses exactly this sequence.
A second ecosystem: assembly, packaging & test
Semiconductor equipment is not only about the wafer fab. Once dies are finished, a whole second ecosystem of tools attaches, connects, encapsulates, singulates, inspects and tests them. Exact sequences differ by package technology.
Equipment by process
Each machine, in plain terms. Follow a link to learn the process it performs; items marked Soon aren’t written yet.
Wafer manufacturing
- What it does
- Grows a large silicon crystal (ingot), slices it into thin wafers, and polishes them mirror-flat.
- Where it fits
- The very start — before any devices are built.
- Why it matters
- Every chip begins on a wafer; its flatness and purity set the floor for everything after.
Cleaning
Soon- What it does
- Removes particles, residues, and contamination from the wafer between steps.
- Where it fits
- Repeatedly — before and after most process steps.
- Why it matters
- A single stray particle can kill a device, so cleanliness is central to yield.
Lithography
- What it does
- Coats the wafer with light-sensitive resist, projects the circuit pattern onto it, and develops the image.
- Where it fits
- At the start of every patterned layer.
- Why it matters
- It defines the smallest features on the chip — the pacing item for scaling.
Deposition
- What it does
- Adds thin films of conductors, insulators, or semiconductors onto the wafer (PVD, CVD, ALD, epitaxy).
- Where it fits
- Whenever a new material layer is needed.
- Why it matters
- Chips are built layer by layer; deposition lays each one down with near-atomic control.
Etching
- What it does
- Selectively removes material to carve the patterned features (wet, or dry/plasma etch).
- Where it fits
- After lithography has defined where to remove material.
- Why it matters
- It turns a flat resist pattern into real 3D structures; profile control sets device quality.
Doping / ion implantation
- What it does
- Introduces dopant atoms to change how regions of silicon conduct (implantation, diffusion).
- Where it fits
- To form transistor source/drain regions, wells, and junctions.
- Why it matters
- Doping is what makes silicon into a device; dose and depth set transistor behaviour.
Thermal processing
- What it does
- Heats the wafer to grow oxides, activate dopants, and repair the crystal (furnaces, rapid thermal processing).
- Where it fits
- At oxide-growth steps and after doping.
- Why it matters
- Precise temperature and time set film and junction properties and heal implant damage.
CMP (planarization)
- What it does
- Chemically and mechanically polishes the wafer flat between layers (slurry + pad).
- Where it fits
- Between build-up layers, especially across the interconnect stack.
- Why it matters
- Each new layer needs a flat surface; poor planarity ruins lithography and yield.
Metrology & inspection
- What it does
- Measures critical dimensions, overlay, and film thickness, and inspects for defects.
- Where it fits
- Throughout the flow, after key steps.
- Why it matters
- You can't control what you can't measure — metrology and inspection drive yield learning.
Wafer handling
Soon- What it does
- Moves and stores wafers automatically between tools in sealed pods.
- Where it fits
- Everywhere — it connects every process tool.
- Why it matters
- Automation keeps wafers clean and traceable across hundreds of steps.
Packaging & assembly
- What it does
- Dices wafers into dies, attaches and connects them, and seals them into packages.
- Where it fits
- The back end, after the wafer is finished.
- Why it matters
- Packaging connects the die to the system and increasingly sets performance.
Testing
- What it does
- Electrically tests dies on the wafer and packaged parts, then bins good from bad.
- Where it fits
- After patterning (wafer test) and after packaging (final test).
- Why it matters
- Only known-good chips ship, and test data feeds yield and reliability learning.
Where equipment connects
Equipment runs the processes, works on the materials, and is built and supplied by the industry — part of a global ecosystem.