Piezo-Driven Active Wafer Shaping Improves Precision in Semicon Manufacturing

Programmable active wafer chuck corrects bow, warpage and localized surface deviations on substrates up to 300 mm

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As semiconductor processes place increasingly stringent demands on wafer flatness and positioning, PI (Physik Instrumente) has introduced an active wafer-shaping technology that uses piezoelectric actuation to precisely manipulate wafer geometry.

Introduced at SEMICON West 2026, the active wafer chuck enables controlled deformation of substrates to compensate for wafer bow, warpage and localized surface deviations that can affect precision handling, inspection, metrology, bonding and advanced packaging. The platform supports substrates up to 300 mm.

Rather than relying on a fixed correction profile, the system supports the first ten Zernike modes as well as freely selectable deformation patterns. Equipment designers can therefore tailor the wafer surface correction to the geometry and requirements of a specific process or application.

By extending precision piezo actuation to wafer-level surface control, PI provides semiconductor equipment developers with another means of addressing substrate flatness and positioning challenges while integrating active correction directly into advanced equipment architectures.

PI is already applying piezo technology to semiconductor positioning and metrology systems, including dynamic tracking, angular correction and high-precision wafer positioning. The active wafer chuck extends that precision-motion approach to controlled wafer deformation.

Applications and Industries Served 
Semiconductor manufacturing, wafer warpage correction, active surface shaping, advanced packaging, wafer inspection & metrology, wafer handling & processing, precision metrology.

More information: Active Wafer Shaping Stage

About PI
PI is a leading global manufacturer of piezo materials, piezo mechanical systems, air bearings, precision motion control, and nanopositioning solutions. For more than 50 years, PI has developed standard and custom solutions for OEM and industry leaders in photonics, semiconductor, laser, medical/life sciences, and aerospace applications.

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SOURCE Physik Instrumente (PI)