Dual beams for power processing
EBIS is the only site in the world to provide both electron and ion beam treatment. The dual service will enable the facility to reduce work-in-progress by up to 20%, saving manufacturers at least a week or more in production time, it is estimated.
The new production facility will be used to improve semiconductor efficiency through carrier lifetime control. Electron and ion beam treatments used in combination can result in optimised switching characteristics.
The new accelerator is supplied by National Electrostatics replacing a machine developed by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at Harwell in the 1960s. Power semiconductor processing covers applications ranging from dimmer switches through to heavy industrial electrical equipment.
The installation of the accelerator facility, from the start of the civil engineering work to the first beam took just six months, believed to be the fastest ever achieved for an installation of this nature.
EBIS also provides other services based on its ion beam capability. These include real-time wear measurement (RWM) technology, invented at Harwell and used to develop the next generation of automotive lubricants and low-emission engines. EBIS also tests solar cell components for the aerospace industry to ensure survival in the harsh operating environment of space.