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In March 2022, we told the world we had ordered a machine. In October 2023, we announced that it is ready for delivery. But what kind of machine is it? What does it do? Why has it taken so long? Where will it be located? How will it be used? You will find the answers here.
Now it’s ready: Our machine for large-scale manÂuÂfacÂturÂing of carÂbon nanofibers. You can read about this in a press release. But a press release says only so much. There is much more to say about “the machine,” as we call it. So buckÂle up, let’s talk about it.
First, you may wonÂder what kind of machine we are talkÂing about.
If you ask our researchers and develÂopÂers, it is a sysÂtem conÂsistÂing of a PECVD reacÂtor chamÂber and tools for high-volÂume production.
PECVD stands for PlasÂma Enhanced ChemÂiÂcal Vapor DepoÂsiÂtion. The tools include a loadÂing device, vacÂuÂum pumps, cabÂiÂnets for gasÂes, and a conÂtrol module.
If you ask me, I would describe it as an oven for high-volÂume “bakÂing” of carÂbon nanofibers on wafers and othÂer subÂstrates. (Wafers are silÂiÂcon discs processed in sevÂerÂal steps to creÂate inteÂgratÂed cirÂcuits, comÂmonÂly known as chips.)
The machine conÂsists of sevÂerÂal parts:
The reacÂtion chamÂber is where the magÂic hapÂpens. It has valves to let a gaseous carÂbon comÂpound in and out of the chamÂber. It has an elecÂtrode in the ceilÂing that creÂates plasÂma – free-floatÂing elecÂtrons – that causÂes the gas to release the carÂbon atoms that build our carÂbon nanofibers. And it has a heatÂing plate on which preÂpared wafers are placed.
The loadÂing device puts the wafer into the reacÂtion chamÂber and takes it out when finÂished. LoadÂing is done autoÂmatÂiÂcalÂly from a carÂtridge that holds 25 wafers. We use 8‑inch diamÂeÂter wafers. This is the most comÂmon size in the industry.
The vacÂuÂum pumps evacÂuÂate the chamÂber of air so that we can conÂtrol the process conÂdiÂtions and the samÂples are not conÂtÂaÂmÂiÂnatÂed by unwantÂed substances.
The gas cabÂiÂnets are needÂed to store the gasÂes going in and out of the reacÂtion chamber.
The conÂtrol modÂule, the cherÂry on the cake, monÂiÂtors and conÂtrols the whole process.
AltoÂgethÂer, the parts take up a floor space of more than 4.5 Ă— 2 meters and weights more than 3.6 tons and. It’s a beast.
The reacÂtor chamÂber is designed in close colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion between the manÂuÂfacÂturÂer and us, and it is cusÂtom-built to meet our specifications.
It conÂtains sevÂerÂal innoÂvÂaÂtive techÂniÂcal soluÂtions. Many things have been conÂsidÂered: mateÂrÂiÂal selecÂtion, mechanÂiÂcal design, comÂpatÂiÂbilÂiÂty with our patent-proÂtectÂed process, and more. And the conÂtrol modÂule softÂware is speÂcialÂly designed for our machine.
So, it is no exagÂgerÂaÂtion to say that the machine is the only one of its kind. It is truÂly unique. It’s a beauty.
It took a year and half to build this machine. We knew it would take a long time for the machine to be finÂished when we placed the order in March 2022.
We anticÂiÂpatÂed that the manÂuÂfacÂturÂer would have to make some tinÂkerÂing here and there. It’s natÂurÂal; you rarely get it one hunÂdred perÂcent right the first time you do someÂthing so comÂplex. And one hunÂdred perÂcent right is what we demand. We can’t comÂproÂmise on qualÂiÂty. So, it took a few iterÂaÂtions to meet our high standards.
The manÂuÂfacÂturÂer, CVD EquipÂment CorÂpoÂraÂtion in the US, is very proÂfesÂsionÂal and has done an outÂstandÂing job. We are delightÂed with the carÂbon nanofibers grown durÂing the accepÂtance test.
Now, all that remains is to get the machine delivered.
But first, all parts must be CE marked, which means that the manÂuÂfacÂturÂer declares that the parts comÂply with relÂeÂvant EU legÂisÂlaÂtion and can be brought into the EuroÂpean EcoÂnomÂic Area (EEA). This work is ongoÂing at the time of writing.
After that, the machine has to be packed and shipped. It sounds more straightÂforÂward than it is. A cusÂtom-built machine requires cusÂtom packÂagÂing and speÂcial shipÂping. It isn’t an ordiÂnary piece of equipÂment we have bought.
If everyÂthing goes as planned, the machine will be shipped around the turn of the year.
We plan to place the machine at a foundry we choose to work with. But we have not yet decidÂed which one. So, for now, it will be stored at Chalmers UniÂverÂsiÂty of Technology.
Why not set it up at Chalmers, where our oldÂer machines are already locatÂed, or anothÂer temÂpoÂrary locaÂtion while waitÂing for the right partÂners to be chosen?
We have conÂsidÂered that but conÂcludÂed that it is betÂter to await the choice of a partner.
RememÂber, it’s a beast. It takes up a lot of space. Requires a lot of enerÂgy. And above all, it has to be in a clean room. There are no suitÂable places availÂable for temÂpoÂrary use. We would have to pay for extenÂsive rebuildÂing and instalÂlaÂtion work. MonÂey that could be put to betÂter use.
Once in place, the machine will be part of manÂuÂfacÂturÂing CNF-MIM capacÂiÂtors.
The throughÂput is one wafer each half hour. Each wafer conÂtains 48,000 CNF-MIM capacÂiÂtors. We plan to process 500 wafers per month. That’s 24 milÂlion capacÂiÂtors per month. And that’s just the beginÂning. The machine can be built out to proÂduce 10X more wafers, that is, 5,000 wafers per month.
We canÂnot do that volÂume with our curÂrent machine, which can proÂduce far fewÂer capacÂiÂtors per wafer, takes four times as long, and must be operÂatÂed manÂuÂalÂly. The new machine is simÂply necÂesÂsary for high-volÂume proÂducÂtion of CNF-MIM capacitors.
The new machine is also scalÂable. We can expand it with sevÂerÂal parÂalÂlel reacÂtion chamÂbers to mulÂtiÂply the volume.
By the way, I lied to you at the beginning.
We don’t call it “the machine.” We call it “the high-volÂume machine,” or HVM for short. But it doesn’t sound as good as “the machine,” so I gave myself an artisÂtic license to shortÂen the name. SorÂry. Now, over to you. Head over to LinkedIn and tell us what more you would like to know about “the machine.”
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