Wide Temperature Range Adaptability of High-Voltage Power Supplies for Exposure Machines: Design and Application Value

In the fields of semiconductor manufacturing and precision electronic processing, exposure machines are core equipment for pattern transfer, and their operating accuracy directly determines the line width and performance of products. As a key unit for energy supply to the optical system of exposure machines, high-voltage power supplies (HVPS) must continuously provide stable and high-precision high-voltage output to ensure the energy consistency and beam quality of the exposure light source. In actual production scenarios, exposure machines often face temperature challenges such as fluctuations in workshop ambient temperature, seasonal temperature differences, or extreme temperatures under special working conditions—for instance, low temperatures in northern workshops in winter, high temperatures in southern workshops in summer, or sudden temperature changes in temporary outdoor testing environments. Therefore, the wide temperature range adaptability of HVPS has become one of the core indicators for measuring its reliability.
The wide temperature range environment poses multiple technical challenges to the performance of HVPS. The first is the problem of component characteristic drift: an increase in temperature reduces the dielectric constant of capacitors, lowering their energy storage capacity and directly leading to an increase in output ripple. The on-state voltage drop and switching loss of semiconductor switching devices fluctuate with temperature, which impairs the energy conversion efficiency of the power supply topology and may even cause the stability deviation of the output voltage to exceed the ±0.1% threshold allowed by the exposure process. Secondly, the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of electrolytic capacitors rises significantly in low-temperature environments, which may result in difficulties in power supply startup or slower dynamic response, affecting the startup efficiency of exposure machines and their responsiveness under emergency conditions. All these issues may indirectly cause deviations in exposure patterns and a decline in product yield.
To address the above challenges, the design of HVPS with wide temperature range adaptability needs to make breakthroughs around three core dimensions: component selection, thermal design, and algorithm optimization. In the component selection phase, industrial-grade wide-temperature components are prioritized—such as high-voltage diodes with an operating temperature range of -40℃ to 85℃, temperature-resistant power modules, and ceramic capacitors with stable low-temperature characteristics—fundamentally reducing the interference of temperature on component performance. For thermal design, the internal layout of the power supply is optimized through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, and a distributed heat dissipation structure is adopted instead of the traditional centralized heat dissipation. Combined with heat dissipation materials with high thermal conductivity, this enables rapid heat conduction and uniform distribution, preventing the temperature of local hotspots from exceeding the tolerance threshold of components. At the control algorithm level, a real-time temperature compensation mechanism is introduced: built-in temperature sensors collect the temperature of key nodes in the power supply, and the duty cycle of the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal is dynamically adjusted to accurately offset the output deviation caused by temperature drift, ensuring stable output accuracy within the wide temperature range.
In terms of application value, HVPS with wide temperature range adaptability provides key support for the multi-scenario operation of exposure machines. In semiconductor enterprises with factories across different regions, temperature differences between various plants do not affect equipment performance; during temporary emergency repairs or outdoor testing, the power supply can operate stably without additional constant-temperature equipment, significantly reducing production auxiliary costs. More importantly, it avoids exposure accuracy deviations caused by temperature fluctuations, reduces product rework and scrap rates, and indirectly improves the yield and economic benefits of the production line.
As semiconductor processes advance toward line widths of 7nm and below, the accuracy requirements for HVPS in exposure machines are further elevated, and wide temperature range adaptability is shifting from an additional requirement to a basic design standard. In the future, combined with new materials such as wide-bandgap semiconductors and intelligent control technologies, the wide-temperature performance of HVPS for exposure machines will continue to make breakthroughs, providing core support for the upgrade of environmental adaptability in the field of precision manufacturing.