Component Overview
A titanium gas showerhead for an ultra-high vacuum deposition chamber — a critical semiconductor process component that distributes process gas uniformly across the wafer.
Manufacturing Challenge
The Grade 5 titanium showerhead requires:
- 2,400 holes of Ø0.3 mm
- ±0.01 mm positional accuracy across the full hole pattern
- Ra ≤ 0.1 µm internal finish inside each hole
- UHV 10⁻⁹ Torr compatibility — micro-burrs and contamination are unacceptable
Engineering Solution
- Micro-drilling strategy: Peck cycles with high-pressure through-tool coolant maintained consistent hole geometry in titanium — a material prone to work hardening and chip welding at micro-scale.
- Burr removal: Post-drilling electropolishing removed micro-burrs from inside the holes while improving surface finish.
- Verification: Coordinate measurement validated every hole position; profilometry confirmed internal finish; outgassing analysis confirmed UHV readiness.
Quality Results
| Parameter | Requirement | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Hole position | ±0.01 mm | ±0.008 mm |
| Internal finish | Ra ≤ 0.1 µm | Ra 0.08 µm |
| Holes in spec | 100% | 100% |
| Outgassing | UHV compatible | < 1×10⁻¹¹ Torr·L/s |
What This Demonstrates
This example demonstrates micro-scale precision in titanium — thousands of repeatable features with tight positional control — plus the surface finishing and contamination control required by semiconductor equipment. For similar micro-feature components, request a process study.