[News] Silai Semicon Achieves Scaled Delivery of 12-Inch SiC Laser Lift-Off Production Systems
Recently, Silai Semicon has completed the delivery of its third batch of mass-production laser lift-off (LLO) systems compatible with 12-inch silicon carbide (SiC) substrates.
The company’s core R&D team originates from the laser science discipline at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, bringing strong innovation capabilities and years of deep expertise in the laser industry. Targeting SiC single crystals—whose Mohs hardness reaches 9.5, close to that of diamond—the team has independently developed proprietary LLO technology, successively launching mass-production equipment for 6-inch, 8-inch, and 12-inch SiC substrates.
Compared with existing industry approaches, Silai’s systems demonstrate clear technological differentiation.
Silai has pioneered the use of a system-on-chip (SoC) integrated light source architecture, offering higher integration and stability than conventional multi-source configurations. The system is further equipped with freeform optical beam-shaping technology, alongside a “white-light interferometric surface measurement + inverse algorithm compensation” solution, ensuring high reliability.
The equipment supports process customization for SiC crystals with different resistivities, accommodates higher energy loads, and features no aging effects, unlimited service life, and strong resistance to interference. It is compatible with 6-, 8-, and 12-inch substrates, while delivering high positioning accuracy and flexibility for non-standard sizes. With a compact footprint of just 1.2m × 1.4m, a single unit can complete the full cutting process and automated loading/unloading, significantly reducing fab floor space while maintaining fully automated, high-performance operation.
Notably, the LLO process significantly outperforms conventional wire-saw cutting. For throughput, the laser lift-off time for an 8-inch wafer is under 15 minutes—20–30 times faster than traditional methods. Material loss is reduced to just 60–80 μm per 8-inch wafer, representing a 60% reduction, while eliminating the need for consumables and chemical agents. Compared to wire-saw processes, wafer output increases by 30%, and per-wafer processing costs are reduced by 50%.
Within less than six months, Silai has shipped dozens of systems, now deployed across multiple leading domestic SiC manufacturers. Benefited from its modular design and industry collaboration, the company has achieved scalable mass production, with batch delivery cycles currently at 28 days and expected to be shortened to 14 days in the future.
It’s also worth noting that Silai has introduced strategic investors including Wuhan DR Laser Technology Co., Ltd. As a global leader in precision laser micro/nano processing equipment, DR Laser has launched several advanced semiconductor solutions.
The collaboration is expected to further strengthen Silai’s competitiveness in this critical segment. Meanwhile, the company is also expanding into core equipment for silicon photonics. Its self-developed laser stealth dicing system for silicon photonic chips has already been successfully exported overseas and is poised to become one of its flagship products going forward.
(Photo credit: Silai Semicon)
