Domestic Substitution Is in Full Swing! Highwah Laser Cleaning Equipment Delivers Professional Cleaning Solutions for Chip and Semiconductor Industries

Amid the AI computing boom and sustained price hike cycle of memory chips, the semiconductor chip industry is embracing a new round of capacity expansion. The production of every high-performance chip hinges on a critical prerequisite: flawless surface cleanliness. Throughout chip manufacturing, trace contaminants at the parts-per-trillion level, including micro particles, photoresist residues and metallic impurities, may trigger circuit short circuits and electrical failure, drastically reducing production yield. More importantly, as process nodes shrink to 3nm and below, cleaning procedures account for one-third of the entire manufacturing flow; 20nm chips require as many as 215 cleaning steps. The industry imposes increasingly stringent standards on the precision and safety of cleaning equipment, making cleaning technology a core bottleneck restricting production capacity and product quality.Wet cleaning still dominates the semiconductor industry with a market share exceeding 90%. However, this chemical-reliant approach easily causes cross-contamination of wafers, generates massive hazardous waste liquids with high subsequent disposal costs, and struggles to meet the ultra-fine cleaning demands of advanced process nodes. Conventional dry cleaning, on the other hand, can only remove a limited range of contaminants. Meanwhile, domestic substitution of semiconductor equipment has become an urgent global trend, and cleaning equipment, as core process machinery, is an indispensable part of this shift. With long-term R&D expertise in the semiconductor sector, Highwah addresses core industry pain points by launching dedicated laser cleaning equipment. Our precision laser cleaning technology reshapes industrial cleanliness standards and builds a robust cleanliness barrier for domestic chip manufacturing.

Four Core Advantages for Full-Scenario Semiconductor Chip Cleaning

Tailored exclusively for the chip and semiconductor industries, Highwah laser cleaning equipment is built around core technologies of 3D vision guidance and intelligent algorithms. It fully satisfies the rigorous manufacturing standards of high precision, zero substrate damage, contamination-free operation and consistent cleaning results, eliminates major limitations of traditional cleaning techniques, and accommodates full-process cleaning for both mature and advanced process nodes.

1. Nanometer-Level Precision Positioning for Micro Surface Contaminants

Equipped with a high-definition 3D vision imaging system that acts as an ultra-precise surface detection sensor, the equipment rapidly scans wafers, packaged chips and other semiconductor workpieces. It accurately identifies nanoscale micro particles, photoresist residues, metallic impurities and oxide layers, enabling precise positioning and boundary recognition of contaminants. The vision data automatically generates the optimal cleaning path, directing the laser beam solely to contaminated zones without touching surrounding clean areas. This prevents damage to delicate chip circuits and surface structures, perfectly meeting cleaning requirements for 3nm and smaller advanced nodes while preserving core chip performance.

2. Non-Contact Damage-Free Cleaning to Preserve Original Substrate Performance

Nanosecond pulsed laser technology enables contactless remote surface cleaning with zero physical contact with semiconductor parts. Precisely tuned laser energy instantaneously vaporizes and strips surface contaminants, introducing no mechanical stress or heat-affected zones. The wafer oxide layers, packaging structures, and wide-bandgap semiconductor substrates such as SiC and GaN remain intact with unaltered surface properties. Post-cleaning surface roughness is extremely low, ensuring full compatibility with subsequent lithography, deposition and bonding processes, and stabilizing chip yield from the source.

3. Zero Contamination & Eco-Friendly Design Aligned with Green Manufacturing

No chemical solvents or cleaning fluids are required throughout the process, completely eliminating chemical residues and cross-contamination inherent to wet cleaning. Zero VOC emissions fully comply with EU RoHS, REACH and domestic green semiconductor manufacturing regulations. Minor waste generated during cleaning can be centrally collected and processed, cutting corporate environmental treatment costs significantly. Customer verification shows that lifecycle environmental expenses drop by over 40% compared with traditional wet cleaning, supporting fully compliant sustainable production.

4. Intelligent Production Line Integration to Boost Chip Manufacturing Throughput

The intelligent control system autonomously identifies various contaminants (photoresist residue, metallic impurities, organic pollutants, etc.) and contamination severity on chip surfaces, dynamically matching optimal laser power, spot size and scanning speed to deliver uniform cleaning results across batches and positions. Seamless integration with semiconductor production lines and industrial robots enables 24-hour uninterrupted automated cleaning. A single unit processes over 2,000 workpieces daily, tripling throughput versus conventional wet cleaning while minimizing manual labor. This empowers manufacturers to seize capacity expansion opportunities and lift overall production output.

Full-Process Coverage: Core Application Scenarios for Chips & Semiconductors

Highwah delivers customized cleaning solutions to address all cleaning demands across chip manufacturing workflows, covering wafer fabrication, chip packaging, PCB/IC substrates and power devices. We ensure consistent chip surface cleanliness from front-end fabrication to back-end packaging and drive quality improvements for domestic semiconductors.

• Wafer Fabrication: Precision Post-Lithography & Post-Etch Cleaning Thoroughly removes photoresist residues, etching byproducts, micro particles and metallic impurities on wafer surfaces. Post-cleaning metal ion concentration is controlled at ppt levels, meeting strict cleanliness specifications for high-end wafers such as 3D NAND and DRAM. Contaminant interference in subsequent oxidation and deposition processes is eliminated, raising high-end wafer yield and helping domestic memory chip manufacturers break technical barriers.
• Chip Packaging: Specialized Cleaning for Advanced Packaging Processes Optimized for advanced packaging technologies including TSV, CoWoS and hybrid bonding. Precisely eliminates post-soldering flux residues, lead frame surface oxides and packaging glue overflow. Non-contact operation avoids damage to packaging structures and solder joints, enhancing bonding reliability and stabilizing electrical performance of AI chips and high-end processors, supporting domestic advanced packaging technological upgrades.
• PCB & IC Substrates: Dedicated Circuit Cleanliness Assurance Targeted removal of solder mask and etching residues generated during circuit patterning on PCBs and IC substrates, clearing micro contaminants within narrow circuit gaps. Improved surface conductivity and insulation reduce circuit short-circuit risks, providing a clean bonding interface between chips and substrates and guaranteeing reliable operation of semiconductor components.
• Power Devices: Custom Cleaning for Third-Generation Semiconductors Custom laser parameters tailored to the surface characteristics of SiC, GaN and other third-generation semiconductor substrates remove native oxide layers and machining residues without substrate damage. Maximum retention of original substrate performance delivers superior voltage resistance, thermal conductivity and service life for power chips, catering to high-end applications including new energy vehicles and smart grids.

Core Competitive Strengths: Specialized Semiconductor Expertise

At a critical stage of domestic semiconductor equipment substitution, Highwah leverages in-depth industry insights and long-term technical R&D to develop laser cleaning solutions tailored to domestic manufacturers’ production requirements, supported by three core strengths:

1. Industry-Specific Process Packages Custom laser parameters and cleaning paths optimized for different semiconductor nodes and chip types, covering mature 28nm processes through cutting-edge 3nm advanced nodes.
2. Closed-Loop Vision-Laser Control System Real-time cleaning effect feedback dynamically adjusts laser parameters to prevent over-cleaning or incomplete cleaning, ensuring consistent surface cleanliness and stable yield, fully compliant with stringent semiconductor quality control standards.
3. Full-Process Digital Traceability Built-in IoT modules automatically record cleaning parameters and results for every chip to generate standardized cleaning reports, meeting ISO quality management and semiconductor traceability standards and enabling digital factory management.

Cleanliness-Driven Innovation to Fuel High-Quality Domestic Chip Development

The global semiconductor landscape is undergoing restructuring, with domestic substitution accelerating rapidly. Domestic semiconductor equipment order growth is projected to exceed 30% in 2026. As core process equipment, cleaning systems directly determine manufacturers’ core competitiveness. Highwah laser cleaning equipment integrates non-damaging precision, eco-friendly operation and intelligent automation to resolve pain points of traditional cleaning such as contamination, low throughput and substrate damage. We deliver stable, reliable cleanliness guarantees for domestic chip manufacturing, helping manufacturers boost yield, cut costs and capitalize on capacity expansion momentum.Whether you operate a wafer fab, chip packaging plant, or specialize in power devices and advanced packaging, Highwah provides tailor-made dedicated laser cleaning solutions to satisfy all semiconductor cleaning requirements.Official Website: www.highwah.com National Service Hotline: +86 189-2251-4695 (WeChat available) Email: sales@highwah.com Headquarters Address: 4/F, Zhengqilong Building, No.108 Gushu 1st Road, Xixiang Subdistrict, Bao’an District, Shenzhen CityWe look forward to cooperating with you. Leveraging innovative automation technology to boost production efficiency, let us march forward hand in hand into a new era of intelligent manufacturing!