Satisfying the Global Appetite for Semiconductor Chips

As worldwide demand for semiconductor chips continues to increase, so does the demand for Aperam’s PERMIMPHY – the alloy used to shield wafer fab production equipment.  

As we all know, in every laptop, smartphone, tablet, gaming console, and car, is a chip, sometimes even many chips. But with the increasing use of electronic sensors in vehicles and the emergence of electric vehicles, the Internet of Things, and 5G, chips are now found in household appliances, lamps – and more!

Note: Analysis of the market evolution between 2021 and 2025    

“Without these semiconductor chips, many of our electronic devices simply would not run”, says Marlène Baussac – Business Manager, Electrical Engineering, for Aperam Alloys. “And with more and more products becoming tech-enabled, demand is skyrocketing.” Aperam is contributing to help satisfy society’s booming demand for semiconductor chips with PERMIMPHY, a nickel-based alloy used to shield wafer fab production equipment from electromagnetic interference, or EMI. To learn more, click here.

Understanding EMI

Also known as radio frequency interference (RFI), EMI is a disturbance generated by an external source, either man-made or natural. This source causes electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, or conduction, which ultimately affects the electrical circuit. Such disturbance may degrade the circuit’s performance, such as when a television broadcast becomes ‘fuzzy’. In a worst-case scenario, it can prevent the chip from functioning at all.

Proven performance

Shielding involves surrounding the semiconductor chip during its nano level etching process with a metallic screen that can cancel any EMI being transmitted through the air. As a soft Ni-Fe magnetic alloy, Aperam’s PERMIMPHY is perfectly adapted for use in such screens. 

PERMIMPHY was originally developed to enable the magnetic resonance imaging process used in healthcare.  As such, it offers proven high permeability, low coercivity, and top-level quality – all of which make it the material of choice for EMI shielding parts.

Shielding cases made from PERMIMPHY benefit from enhanced capacity, positioning the material as a key enabler in ensuring that semiconductor chip production keeps pace with ever-increasing demand.

Beyond semiconductor chip production, PERMIMPHY is also used with many other shielding applications: shielded rooms, medical & laboratory equipment (MRIs, CT Scanners, devices for scientific research, etc.) and is the material of choice for any demanding shielding need.

By Marlène Baussac, Business Manager, Electrical Engineering