GORE^? High Flex Cables and Assemblies for Lithography

The growing demand for semiconductors — driven by 5G, the Cloud and AI — will only intensify as more devices and technologies are integrated into homes, workplaces and transportation systems. To meet this accelerating demand, fabs using EUV (extreme ultraviolet) and DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography processes must increase their speeds and output without sacrificing purity or precision in the process. 

Gore thinks ahead and grows with customer requirements. We continue optimizing our capabilities and cables for vacuum and non-vacuum environments so we’ll be prepared to meet newer, more stringent standards for cable cleanliness, durability, flexibility and reliability.

GORE High Flex Cables and Assemblies are custom-configured to meet EUV and DUV needs for the lowest particulation, even after continuous flexing over 20 million times. Our vacuum-compatible cables are always RGA (Residual Gas Analysis) tested to ensure cleanliness that meets customer specifications. 

The longer the cable, the more sensitive the data transmission. In Gore’s Signal Integrity Laboratory, we used an eye diagram test to verify that our continuous high-flex cable has a low dielectric constant to maintain reliable signal integrity for precise, high-speed data transmission over longer distances.

Gore’s chemically inert fluoropolymers reduce the outgassing of volatiles like CxHy and H2O, which can diffuse into the vacuum vessel, contaminating the processing chamber and fogging the parabolic mirrors critical for imaging precision. Our material expertise and rigorous cleaning processes mean that each element of our finished cables, from raw materials to individual strands and final assemblies, delivers the cleanliness that high-purity lithography processing and vacuum applications demand.

As vacuum cables flex and compress, if they contact each other, friction can cause the materials to shed particulates that can contaminate the vacuum environment. Gore’s low-friction materials — and ability to further manipulate them — can achieve the lowest particulation despite the increased stress imposed by higher output (wafer/hour) goals. Our cables’ mechanically robust, ultra-high vacuum components achieve the lowest particulation rates beyond 20 million flex cycles, even at higher acceleration and speeds. 

Our high-flex cables also have a tight bend radius for easy installation in tight spaces and more freedom to use special routings.

Within EUV machine systems, GORE High Flex Cables and Assemblies deliver the proven cleanliness and durability needed for multiple applications, including:

• wafer handler and wafer stage
• reticle handler, reticle stage and reticle mask
• and many more

The tested and proven quality of our high-flex cables for lithography supports the productivity and precision of automated inspection systems, including:

• optical metrology systems
• mask inspection systems
• eScan multiple e-beam systems

Designed for flexible applications, GORE High Flex Cables and Assemblies provide exceptional features that a EUV high-vacuum environment demands, along with the extreme durability, flexibility and reliability that both EUV and non-vacuum DUV systems require.

• low-particulation, low-contamination, low-outgassing materials
• chemically inert and temperature-resistant materials
• thin, highly flexible flat cable construction

Our finished high-flex cables and assemblies provide manufacturers with a host of benefits unmatched by other lithography cables, like:

• meet specs for EUV Cleanliness Grade 2 cables and DUV Cleanliness Grade 4 cables
• proven to withstand repeated flex cycles beyond 20 million
• deliver higher data rate transmission speeds with uncompromising signal integrity
• tight, flexible bend radius for easy install and freedom to use special routings
• meet industry demands for higher yields and productivity
• less maintenance, downtime and cost and more DUV and EUV machine uptime

These values demonstrate the electrical, mechanical and environmental performance of GORE High Flex Cables and Assemblies for lithography.

When it comes to lithography, you need more than just cable and assembly “products” — you need leading-edge, integrated solutions that are backed by a resourceful, capable and proven partner. 

Working with us and specifying reliable Gore cables and assemblies for high-flex EUV and DUV applications can help you reduce maintenance and downtime, even when running at higher wafer/hour speeds over multi-million production cycles. We’re not just here to provide ultra-high vacuum cables — we’re here to meet ultra-high expectations as well.

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