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Semiconductor Manufacturing Requirements Drive New Automation Technologies

From Empire Magnetics Inc.

In addition to highly repetitive tasks, positioning equipment has long been used to provide very specialized functions and processes. A good example is the semiconductor manufacturing industry. According to a recent press report, at least forty new wafer fabrication plants are presently in the planning stages or actually being built. Since each plant represents a $2 billion to $6 billion investment, it is easy to estimate that there is some $200 billion going into this market in the next 3-5 years. And, since the process equipment represents the bulk of the investment, this is an important market for manufacturers of positioning and automation equipment. In semiconductor manufacturing, the immediate presence of operators has always been an unacceptable source of contamination. The newer facilities are getting cleaner by completely removing people from the process; engineers are also changing the equipment designs to eliminate that source of contamination.
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DC Motors
DC motors are most commonly used in variable speed and torque applications. They include brushless and gear motors, as well as servomotors.
Brushless Motors
Brushless motors are synchronous electric motors that have a magnetically (AC induction) or electronically (DC) controlled commutation system instead of a brush-based mechanical commutation system.
DC Servomotors
DC servomotors are generally small and powerful for their size, and easy to control. Common types of DC servomotors include brushless or gear motors.
Stepper Motors (Rotary)
Stepper motors use a magnetic field to move a rotor in small angular steps or fractions of steps. They provide precise positioning and ease of use, especially in low acceleration or static load applications.
Topics of Interest

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is chief technology officer and senior vice president, semiconductor technology research, for The Noblemen Group (www.noblemengroup. com), a boutique investment banking, strategic advisory, and...