Rise of Domestic MFC: Qingdao Xinnovis Leads Local Technological Innovation Again
Release time：
24 Sep,2024
Summary
Recently, Qingdao Xinnovis Microsystem Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Qingdao Xinnovis") has made a major breakthrough in mass flow controllers (MFCs), overcoming key technological barriers that have long hindered the development of domestically produced semiconductor-grade MFCs. They have successfully developed two semiconductor-grade MFC products based on high-speed piezoelectric proportional valves. These products boast extremely high precision, reliability, and five times the stability of existing products.
Why develop semiconductor-grade MFCs?
MFC, or mass flow controller, is a precision instrument that accurately measures and controls the mass flow rate of fluids. It is a key functional unit that ensures the accuracy and consistency of processes. MFCs play an indispensable role in various stages of semiconductor processes. For example, in process steps (etching, film deposition, etc.), they are used to monitor or adjust the flow rate of each component of mixed gases and the equipment vacuum in real time, ensuring the precise proportion of mixed gases; in material cleaning, they are used to control the nitrogen flow rate during the process, ensuring cleaning and drying effects; and in cleanrooms and other infrastructure, they are used for long-term stable control of environmental gas cleanliness and wind speed. To ensure the stability of the semiconductor manufacturing process and product quality, MFC products are typically required to have high precision, high stability, high reliability, and fast response.
In recent years, industry leaders such as Horiba (Japan) and Brooks (USA) have successively launched piezoelectric ceramic proportional valves and semiconductor-grade MFC products based on piezoelectric proportional valves. While improving response speed, they significantly reduce problems such as performance degradation, heat generation, and leakage during long-term use. Although some domestic companies have made good progress, their products still mainly use traditional electromagnetic proportional valve technology, resulting in insufficient product competitiveness and inability to meet the semiconductor industry's needs for high precision, high reliability, and fast response. Currently, high-reliability, fast-response, high-quality piezoelectric drive flow measurement and control technology is monopolized by foreign countries, with high prices and the risk of supply disruptions, leading to key core component security threats in important national semiconductor equipment.
During the six years of the US-China trade war, China's semiconductor industry achieved rapid development through measures such as increasing independent innovation, promoting the collaborative development of the industrial chain, actively participating in international cooperation, and obtaining policy support and capital investment. At the same time, with the improvement of semiconductor manufacturing processes and the growth of market demand, the demand for domestically produced high-end MFCs will continue to increase. Therefore, developing semiconductor-grade MFCs and promoting the localization of this core component is crucial for ensuring the security of the national semiconductor industry chain.
S700 Internal Structure Diagram
What is Qingdao Xinnovis's strength?
Qingdao Xinnovis focuses on high-end gas flow measurement and control technology, aiming to become a world-leading semiconductor component supplier. The company's core team comes from key scientific research institutions at home and abroad, including A*STAR (Singapore), KIT (Germany), Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongji University, and Shandong University. They possess independent core technologies covering the entire chain, including core flow sensing chips, modules, algorithms, and system integration. Currently, the company holds 23 invention patents, 14 utility model patents, and more than 50 Class A metrology certificates; it undertakes two national key research and development projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology and one key research and development project (major scientific and technological innovation project) of Shandong Province; it has established research and development platforms such as the "Qingdao Xinnovis-Shandong University Sensor Measurement and Control Joint Laboratory," the "Qingdao Gas Flow Measurement and Control Technology Key Laboratory," and the "Qingdao Gas Flow Measurement and Control Technology Expert Workstation." The company also has an 800-square-meter R&D workshop, a 4000-square-meter manufacturing workshop, and more than 100 flow calibration devices; it has ISO9001, ISO14001 and other quality management and manufacturing certifications.
Market stability relies on strong product quality assurance. After years of cultivation, Qingdao Xinnovis has formed mature and stable product lines such as the S300 series, UT series, and E series, and has achieved domestic substitution in many fields such as photovoltaics, environmental protection, medical care, and even military industry, gaining unanimous market recognition. Now, with the addition of two semiconductor-specific flow meter products, S700 and DF500, the company is beginning to enter the semiconductor market. When discussing the company's and products' advantages, Dr. Tao Jifang, founder of the company, said, "As a local sensor company, Qingdao Xinnovis's advantages mainly include three points: First, our team is excellent, and everyone has outstanding abilities and rich experience; second, we have a good ecological environment, the delivery of high-quality products depends on the strong support of upstream partners, and we maintain close cooperation with downstream customers; finally, Qingdao Xinnovis has always maintained high-intensity R&D and manufacturing investment. R&D investment keeps us technologically advanced, and manufacturing investment ensures the quality of our products. Pursuing high-end excellence and avoiding involution in the low-end market is the key to our success." Dr. Tao Jifang added.
Qingdao Xinnovis's new products will be showcased at the 2024 "Semiconductor and Core Components Exhibition"
"This is far from enough." When talking about the company's new semiconductor-grade MFC products, Dr. Lin, head of Qingdao Xinnovis's R&D center, said, "Although the company has established a foothold 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. The S700 and DF500 are a major breakthrough in this regard."
The two newly developed products by Qingdao Xinnovis both adopt internationally leading high-speed piezoelectric proportional valve technology and dynamic pressure fluctuation compensation technology. "The piezoelectric proportional valve is the core control component in the MFC, forming a closed loop with the flow sensor to achieve dynamic and rapid adjustment of gas flow," said Dr. Lin. "Compared with the currently mainstream electromagnetic proportional valves in China, piezoelectric proportional valves have faster response, higher control precision, and extremely low power consumption and thermal noise. We started the research and development of piezoelectric proportional valves in 2021 and have now achieved key technological breakthroughs and mass production solutions, including piezoelectric ceramic stacking design, actuator structure optimization, and all-metal sealing. The performance and consistency of the proportional valve are very good."
To meet different application needs, Qingdao Xinnovis has developed two different products, the differences are as follows:
The two products have slightly different focuses. The DF500 has advantages in precision and response time in small flow control, suitable for 7nm/14nm advanced processes; while the S700 has a wider range of flow rate selection and operating temperature, suitable for general processes. "Both products use the company's newly developed adaptive dynamic control algorithm, and customers can choose according to their actual needs. Both MFCs use semiconductor-grade double-V materials and EP treatment, meeting SEMI requirements," said Dr. Lin. "Both products will be showcased at the Semiconductor Equipment and Core Components Exhibition on September 25th. We welcome new and old customers to come and exchange ideas."
Summary:
In the semiconductor-grade MFC field, China's research started relatively late, and technology and products are subject to Western countries, seriously threatening the completeness and security of China's semiconductor industry chain. Currently, Qingdao Xinnovis has completed the difficult task of going from 0 to 1. The next step is how to better achieve the leap from 1 to 100. The rise of domestic manufacturers such as Qingdao Xinnovis not only represents the improvement of domestic technical level but also indicates that China will have stronger competitiveness in the global high-tech field.
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Office Address: 12F, Building I, International Innovation Park,
177 Songling Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao, Shandong, China