Turku, Finland – March 31st, 2026

SisuSemi has partnered with IPG Photonics, the world leader of fiber laser technology, to introduce a breakthrough Ultra‑High‑Vacuum (UHV) wafer cleaning system that pairs atomic‑level cleanliness with a first‑of‑its‑kind laser‑based wafer heating technology. The system supports wafer sizes up to Ø300 mm, with full flexibility to process Ø200 mm and Ø150 mm wafers, unlocking new levels of wafer purity for the most advanced semiconductor nodes. This solution is part of SisuSemi’s ALP™ (Atomic‑Level Purification) technology platform, engineered to deliver unmatched wafer surface quality for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Uniform wafer heating is foundational to many semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

With the SisuSemi’s patented ALP™ solution – using uniform heating, UHV and controlled oxidation – the solution directly addresses one of the most critical bottlenecks in the semiconductor industry: surface and interface defects and contaminants. In advanced nodes, interface contamination and defect density are among the primary causes of leakage current, threshold voltage instability, and yield loss. As devices move towards smaller node sizes, traditional cleaning and thermal treatments can no longer ensure the atomic‑level surface quality required for reliable device performance. A remote laser heating solution enables contamination control because the laser beam delivery optics are outside the UHV process chamber.

When designing its next‑generation UHV cleaning platform – called AtomSeal™ – SisuSemi evaluated multiple heating methods before selecting laser heating based on its attributes for uniformity, repeatability, and throughput scalability.

SisuSemi’s CTO Elmira Jahanshah Rad: “When we designed our wafer solutions, we weighed traditional resistive heating and laser heating. Laser heating provides uniformity and throughput scalability that are crucial for scaling SisuSemi solution to large volume manufacturing”.

IPG Photonics’ laser heating system delivers highly uniform heating across the full Ø300 mm wafer area, the global industry standard. Combined with SisuSemi’s ALP™ UHV cleaning process, we can now support state-of-the-art R&D and low volume fabs with atomic-level cleanliness in semiconductor industry for wafer sizes up to Ø300 mm. Fiber delivery allows the laser’s power unit and utilities to be positioned outside the cleanroom. Only the optical head at the distal end of the fiber delivery is near the process chamber, saving valuable cleanroom space while simplifying equipment integration and service.

The AtomSeal™ complete system is now commissioned in SisuSemi cleanroom, able to serve Front-End-of-Line processes for foundries and IDMs working on advanced CMOS, photonics, and MEMS — especially 3 nm and below — targeting applications in edge computing, IoT, AI, and high-frequency devices. The ALP™ process is also applicable to conventional technologies, where atomic-level cleanliness can reduce power consumption and increase production yield. The ability of laser to uniformly heat over a large area multiplies the treatment capacity of diced chips in the Back-End-of-Line to deliver side wall passivation directed at reducing leakage current and dicing induced yield losses, providing proven benefits for sensors and detectors.

SisuSemi’s roadmap includes scaling ALP™ to high‑volume manufacturing tools with seamless integration into 300 mm production lines. This and future generations of SisuSemi’s AtomSeal™ systems are engineered to fit into existing fabs as either pre‑ or post‑treatment steps, without breaking vacuum.

Andrey Mashkin, Vice President, GM Global Lasers: “Combining our laser heating solution with SisuSemi’s UHV based atomic-level cleaning enables new standards in wafer quality while accelerating IPG’s vision for the sustainable Fab. Laser heating is fast, clean and efficient, with minimal service and consumable requirements.”

SisuSemi CEO Erkki Seppäläinen: “This partnership transforms how fabs approach wafer cleanliness — beyond conventional limits.”

About SisuSemi Oy:

Founded in 2024 and based in Turku, Finland, SisuSemi Oy specializes in silicon-based semiconductor surface cleaning at the atomic level. Leveraging over 10 years of research from the University of Turku, SisuSemi is dedicated to improving chip quality and performance through innovative and sustainable technology solutions that empower manufacturers to push the boundaries of performance.

For more information, see SisuSemi web page: www.SisuSemi.com  

Erkki Seppäläinen

CEO, Co-founder, SisuSemi 

erkki@sisusemi.com 

+358 40 7687591