Semiconductor fabrication instruments are up against a long list of motion challenges. They must satisfy increasing throughput demands, handle ever-shrinking chips, meet high-precision requirements and operate in contamination-sensitive environments. It pays to work with a supplier whose motion products satisfy these challenging requirements and also operate reliably in cleanrooms, vacuums and other difficult operating environments.

At IKO, we designed our motion products to provide accurate, reliable and smooth motion for semiconductor applications. We also offer various options and accessories so you can adapt them to demanding conditions in semiconductor foundries.

Here are some typical motion tasks in semiconductor fabrication, along with products that get the job done:

• Smooth, accurate linear motion. Our linear motion rolling guides feature high precision, a wide range of available rail sizes and four possible bearing lengths—making them appropriate for chip fabrication equipment, wafer transport and handling machines, robots and ion implantation instruments used in the doping process. Our ball type linear guides combine smooth, repeatable motion with micron-level multi-axis accuracy plus quiet operation. They come in rail sizes as small as one millimeter and are also available with wide-width variations to help withstand rolling moments.
• Rotating and positioning parts at high speeds. Our crossed roller bearings are ideal for applications requiring high rotational accuracy. Built with rollers crossed at right angles between inner and outer rings, our crossed roller bearings can handle radial, thrust and moment loads at the same time. They provide good load capacity and micron-level positioning desirable for pick-and-place machines and robots. Just one crossed roller bearing provides the same performance as a pair of duplex ball bearings, saving you space in tight robotic designs.
• Maintenance-free motion. Our C-Lube technology, which is available in many of our linear motion components, virtually eliminates lubrication requirements in hard-to-access environments where frequent re-lubrication is not an option and maintenance may be difficult.

Trusted by the Semiconductor Industry

When designing complex machinery for semiconductor equipment, our linear guides and bearings offer high performance, quality carbon or stainless steel construction and a wide range of sizes. And, because semiconductor fabrication presents difficult operating environments like cleanrooms and vacuums, we offer components to help prevent contamination. Stainless steel is standard for our LWL Series linear guides, and most of our linear motion rolling guides come in a stainless steel option. We also offer a black chromium surface treatment as another way to combat corrosion.

In addition to these benefits, we have decades of experience in the semiconductor industry—making us your ideal source for accurate, reliable motion components for sophisticated fabrication equipment.

Get more information about our products for the semiconductor industry.