Leverage Part Consolidation Techniques, Novel Cooling Strategies and Intricate Nozzle Shapes Enabled by Direct Metal Printing to Produce Reliable Semiconductor Showerheads at High Speed
75%
component production time reduction
0.6mm
holes diameter
4:1
part count reduction

Increase Showerhead Deposition Precision and Uniformity While Reducing Production Lead Times

A 3D printed showerhead with a ruler on top showing the dimensions

Over 480 mm metal 3D printed showerhead on its build plate

Showerheads are commonly used for even material deposition in semiconductor manufacturing. Their hole configuration and temperature stability are important factors in determining uniformity of deposition.

Using our metal additive manufacturing solutions, you can deliver geometries that couldn’t be produced with traditional methods, including non-cylindrical nozzle geometries for deposition control, more intricate cooling channels to extract heat, and consolidated components to prevent leakages. Thousands of small holes can be 3D printed with negligible impact on cost and production time.

The Benefits of Metal Additive Manufacturing

  • Semiconductor Improve Gas Flow Efficiency

  • Design Flexibility

    Because additive manufacturing gives semiconductor equipment and thermal management engineers unprecedented design flexibility, they are able to unlock new levels of complexity for integrated cooling channels and reduce part counts and assemblies, thus providing uniform deposition and maximizing showerhead reliability.

  • a person in protective gear holding a 3D printed part

  • High Quality and Accuracy for Clean Room Environments

    Our direct metal printing solutions enable the production of small holes, as low as 0.6 mm in diameter, allowing you to produce highly accurate, finely detailed parts. Coupled with our proprietary processes for optimal particle cleanliness, our corrosion-resistant materials and the inert, ultra-low oxygen atmosphere of our metal additive manufacturing solutions, our customers produce metal parts that meet clean room requirements and are fit for use in semiconductor equipment.

  • Performance and Productivity

    Fine, intricate showerhead nozzles, better thermal management, and more reliable, consolidated components contribute to uniform material deposition and ultimately to significant increases in the speed, yield, and uptime of your semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Even Deposition with Semiconductor Showerheads

  • Improve Cooling Efficiency

    Due to high pressure and material heat, showerheads can accumulate significant thermal loads. Efficient thermal management with consistent temperature stability allows for uniform material deposition, positively impacting overall process accuracy.

  • a technician holding a wafer

    Increased Components Reliability

    By creating monolithic showerheads, you are eliminating sources of leakage at weld lines. Superior cooling efficiency can be gained with no assembly required, translating to longer intervals between service and maximum tool uptime.

  • a hand holding an hourglass

    Lower-Cost Showerheads in a Fraction of the Time

    With additive manufacturing, changes to nozzles shape, size or quantity doesn’t impact 3D printing time, dramatically reducing lead-times and lowering material costs compared to CNC machining and other subtractive solutions. Monolithic components also dramatically reduce the number of suppliers required for product development and full-scale production.

Resources

  • Semiconductor ebook cover

    Rapidly Adopt and Scale Metal Additive Manufacturing

    In this eBook, you’ll learn how 3D Systems’ decades of experience and expertise helps integrate metal AM to drive performance, productivity, and reliability improvements for semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers and suppliers.

    Get the eBook
  • Silicon Wafers and Microcircuits sitting on a robot arm

    Additive Manufacturing for Semiconductor Capital Equipment

    Discover how 3D Systems’ metal additive manufacturing can give semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers and suppliers the capabilities they need to improve performance, productivity, and reliability.

    Read our Brochure

More Semiconductor Applications

hand holding a dmp manifold fluid flow optimization image alt

Manifold Fluid Flow Optimization
semiconductor wafer table thermal management link

Wafer Table Thermal Management

Flexure and Structural Optimization

Gas Conveyance and Mixing

Linear Stage Cooling

Learn More About Showerhead Manufacturing Solutions

DMP Factory 350 Duel 3D Printer

DMP Factory 350 and DMP Factory 350 Dual

Scalable, high quality metal AM with integrated powder management

Manufacture metal parts with scalable DMLS with removable build chamber for continuous printing

DMP Factory 500

Robust, high quality metal AM with integrated powder management

LaserForm Ni718 (A)

Oxidation, corrosion and extremely high-temperature resistant

3D Systems 3DXpert hero image

3DXpert

All-in-One Integrated Software for Industrial Additive Manufacturing

DMP Flex 350 Duel 3D printer

DMP Flex 350, DMP Flex 350 Dual and DMP Flex 350 Triple

Robust, flexible metal 3D printer for rapid part production

LaserForm 316L (A)

Able to be sterilized and highly corrosion resistant.

LaserForm AlSi10Mg (A)

Good mechanical properties and good thermal conductivity

DMP Inspection

Minimize secondary inspection in Metal AM with validated automated analysis

DMP Monitoring

Real-time process monitoring for informed decisions on product quality

a 3D rendering made from Control X software

Geomagic Control X

3D Inspection and Metrology Software

Geomagic Design X reverse engineering and 3D scanning software

Geomagic Design X

Reverse Engineering Software

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  • Application Innovation Group

    Our team can help you solve your most difficult design and production challenges with additive manufacturing solutions. Together we’ll identify your needs, working with you to optimize your designs, prototype, validate and define a manufacturing flow.
    Find out more