Semiconductors power everything from smartphones to cars and AI data centers. Oerlikon supports the industry with coatings, thermal interface materials and 3D printed components that protect chip production equipment, improve heat management and help manufacturers push the limits of performance.
Semiconductors are the foundation of modern electronics. They control the flow of electricity and act like the brain and nervous system of every digital device. As demand for more power and lower energy use grows, chip manufacturers constantly work at the limits of what is physically possible. Oerlikon supports them with technologies that make higher density and more stable production achievable.
One key challenge is heat. Chips generate enormous temperatures during operation, and even small fluctuations can reduce how many chips per wafer are usable. With long experience in metal additive manufacturing, Oerlikon produces specifically designed 3D printed cooling plates. They are not only lighter and more compact, but also feature fewer sealing points, which makes them less prone to leaks. Their fine, flow‑optimized cooling channels remove heat exactly where it is generated.
To further optimize heat transfer, Oerlikon also develops thermal interface materials that efficiently conduct heat between chips, packages and cooling systems. Used together with advanced cooling components, these materials help minimize thermal resistance, stabilize process conditions and enable higher power densities.
This leads to more stable temperatures, shorter process times and higher performance. Other key applications include manifolds and housings, with enablers such as part reduction and cost reduction, increased performance, and low‑corrosion materials.
Chip production also exposes equipment to extreme conditions: aggressive chemicals, plasmas, high heat and tiny structures only a few micrometers in size. Under these conditions, uncoated metals and even standard coatings can corrode, erode or release particles. Oerlikon therefore offers BALINIT DYLYN, BALINIT DLC and thermal spray coatings developed for these demanding environments.
These different coatings technologies protect components such as chamber liners, focus rings, electrostatic chucks and wafer handling systems. They reduce defect rates, extend maintenance intervals and lower costs in a sector where every percentage point of yield matters.
With its coatings and additive manufacturing expertise, Oerlikon helps the semiconductor industry increase stability, improve performance and keep pushing digital innovation forward.
