AutoStep 200 AutoStep 200

The GCA AutoStep 200 is a wafer stepper used for photolithography in semiconductor manufacturing. The GCA AutoStep 200 supports 8 inch wafers. The GCA AutoStep 200 is equipped with a ceramic high stability wafer chuck. The GCA AutoStep 200 achieves 500 nanometer resolution with single patterning.^[1][2][3]

A wafer stepper is a projection lithography tool that transfers circuit patterns from a reticle onto photoresist-coated wafers by exposing one field at a time. A wafer stepper repeats the exposure across the wafer in a step-and-repeat sequence to build up the full patterned layer. A wafer stepper relies on optical imaging, wafer positioning, focus control, and alignment between the reticle pattern and the wafer.

Photolithography tools sit in the patterning sequence after wafer preparation and photoresist coating, and before resist development and pattern transfer. A wafer stepper is used when a layer must be imaged with repeated field exposures across the wafer. The patterned resist produced by a wafer stepper serves as the mask for later etch, implant, deposition, or lift-off steps, depending on the device flow.

A wafer stepper is used to define repeated device patterns in photoresist during semiconductor fabrication. A wafer stepper can be applied to front-end device layers and to other patterned layers that require optical projection exposure. A wafer stepper is also used in process development, integration work, and other lithographic patterning tasks where reticle-based wafer exposure is needed.