Crystal Wafer Manufacturing Process

Precision Wafer Processing & Metrology Equipment

A look at the core slicing, edge processing, lapping, polishing, cleaning and inspection equipment running on our production line for LiNbO3, LiTaO3 and quartz wafers. Sequence is shown above — this is a showcase of the equipment itself, not a step-by-step order.

Wafer processing is a chain of interdependent precision steps — slicing accuracy determines how much material lapping needs to remove, and lapping uniformity determines how consistent the surface is after polishing. Insufficient precision anywhere in the line becomes a bottleneck for the whole process. We run dedicated equipment across all five core stages — slicing, edge processing, lapping and polishing, cleaning, and inspection — covering everything from rough machining to nanometer-scale precision polishing, and from batch cleaning to optical interferometry. That range is what lets us meet both SAW-grade and optical-grade wafer standards on the same line.

Wire Saw

Diamond wire saw slicing cuts the crystal boule to a precise orientation and thickness. Slicing precision sets the wafer's initial thickness tolerance and warp — the single step with the biggest impact on final yield across the entire process; a deficit here is difficult to fully correct in later lapping and polishing.

Chamfering Machine

Tokyo Seimitsu W-GM-4200, a Japanese-made chamfering machine that rounds the sharp edge left by slicing into a smooth curve. An unchamfered wafer edge is highly prone to chipping during later lapping, polishing and handling — chamfering meaningfully improves edge strength and yield.

Precision Edge Processing

A close-up look at wafer edge and surface processing in progress — from slicing to chamfering, every wafer's edge profile passes through multiple grinding stages to reach a smooth, stress-free finish, a detail that determines how well the wafer survives later steps.

Double-Side Lapping Machine

Processes both wafer faces simultaneously, removing the subsurface damage layer left by slicing while correcting thickness uniformity (TTV) and flatness (warp) to target range — establishing a consistent baseline for the CMP polishing step that follows.

Precision Thinning Grinder

Okamoto GNX200B, a Japanese precision thinning grinder that runs an additional pass after double-side lapping to hold wafer thickness within a tighter tolerance band, meeting custom requirements for ultra-thin wafers or specialized device designs.

Single-Wafer Scrubber

An ultra-clean single-wafer scrubbing line that combines chemical and mechanical cleaning wafer by wafer, removing surface particles and processing residue — suited to SAW-grade and optical-grade batches with the strictest cleanliness requirements.

Batch Cleaning Machine

High-throughput batch cleaning for 4" and 6" wafers, combining chemical cleaning with ultrasonic agitation to balance cleaning efficiency with consistent cleanliness across large orders.

Optical Metrology

TROPEL system, a US-made optical metrology instrument using interferometry to take non-contact measurements of wafer flatness, warp and thickness distribution — among the highest-precision instruments in our entire inspection process.

Particle Inspection

Candela CS20, a US-made particle and surface inspection system that uses laser scanning to detect particles, scratches, pits and stains on every wafer, wafer by wafer — catching micron-scale surface defects that are easy to miss by eye.