High-Precision Applications of Harmonic Drive Harmonic Gear Reducers in Semiconductor Polishing Equipment

In the front-end processes of semiconductor manufacturing, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) polishing equipment places extremely stringent requirements on the precision and reliability of transmission components. Harmonic Drive harmonic gear reducers, with their outstanding technological advantages, have become a key transmission solution in this field. This article will delve into their core value in semiconductor polishing equipment from three dimensions: technical characteristics, market performance, and localization progress.

I. Technological Advantages: Deep Integration of High Precision and High Reliability

The core advantages of Harmonic Drive harmonic gear reducers lie in their gearless backlash design and high torque capacity. In CMP polishing equipment, the uniform polishing of the wafer surface highly depends on the stable operation of the transmission system. This gear reducer achieves excellent performance with a repeatability accuracy ≤1μm through the elastic meshing mechanism of the flexible and rigid gears, effectively suppressing equipment vibration and significantly improving processing consistency. Taking Ebara of Japan as an example, a leading company in the CMP equipment field, it has long used Harmonic Drive Systems gearboxes, maintaining nanometer-level precision even in processes below 7nm.

Furthermore, Harmonic Drive Systems has further enhanced the dynamic response capability of its equipment by using lightweight materials (such as aluminum housings) and optimizing fatigue performance (such as high-strength steel flexible wheels). Under the high-frequency start-stop conditions of semiconductor equipment, its service life is extended by more than 30% compared to traditional gear drives, significantly reducing equipment maintenance costs.

II. Market Landscape: A Competitive Landscape of Global Dominance and Domestic Substitution

In the global harmonic drive gearbox market, Harmonic Drive Systems holds approximately 20% of the market share, with the semiconductor equipment sector being its core application area. Its technological barriers are mainly concentrated in two aspects:

Patent barriers: For example, the IH tooth profile design, which reduces meshing impact and improves transmission smoothness through tooth profile optimization;

Precision machining capabilities: Relying on Japanese ultra-precision machine tools, it achieves micron-level gear machining accuracy, which remains a technological bottleneck that domestic equipment manufacturers are unlikely to overcome in the short term.

Meanwhile, domestic companies such as Green Harmonic Drive Systems have gradually achieved technological breakthroughs. In 2023, Green Harmonic Drive successfully entered the semiconductor equipment supply chain. Its products were validated in CMP polishing equipment, achieving 90% of the precision of similar products from Harmonic Drive. Although the localization rate is still below 20%, this progress marks a crucial step forward for China in the high-end transmission field.

III. Localization Challenges: Long-Term Breakthroughs in Technological Accumulation and Supply Chain Collaboration

The application of domestically produced harmonic reducers in semiconductor equipment faces multiple challenges:

Materials and Process Bottlenecks: Domestic companies have not yet fully mastered Harmonic Drive's unique surface treatment technologies (such as vacuum carburizing), resulting in shorter fatigue life of reducers under alternating loads;

Long Validation Cycle: Semiconductor equipment has extremely high reliability requirements for transmission components. Domestic products require 2-3 years of customer validation, hindering market promotion;

Insufficient Cost Advantage: Although domestic products are 30%-40% cheaper than Harmonic Drive products, high-end customers prioritize long-term stability, making large-scale substitution difficult in the short term.

IV. Future Outlook: Dual Driving Force of Technological Iteration and Market Penetration

As semiconductor equipment evolves towards more advanced processes below 3nm, the precision requirements for harmonic reducers will further increase. Harmonic Drive Systems has launched the development of its next-generation product, aiming to improve repeatability accuracy to within 0.5μm. Domestic companies need to accelerate their catch-up through the following paths:

Industry-University-Research Collaboration: Collaborating with universities to overcome materials science challenges, such as developing novel composite flexible wheel materials;

Supply Chain Integration: Establishing joint laboratories with semiconductor equipment manufacturers to shorten verification cycles;

International Expansion: Rapidly acquiring core patents through mergers and acquisitions of overseas technical teams.

Conclusion

The application of Harmonic Drive Systems' harmonic reducers in semiconductor grinding equipment highlights the crucial supporting role of high-end transmission technology in precision manufacturing. Although the localization process still faces many challenges, through continuous technological accumulation and supply chain collaboration, China is expected to achieve a leap from "following" to "running alongside" within the next 5-10 years. This process is not only related to corporate competitiveness but also an important component of China's strategy for independent control of semiconductor equipment.