Ever since the invention of the first junction transistor in 1948, the semiconductor industry has grown in leaps and bounds; and today, it is arguably the most important electronic device in our daily lives. With the new decade heralding innovations such as autonomous driving, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G, it is imperative that device manufacturers use only the most leading-edge semiconductors. Yet, as crucial as semiconductors are, manufacturers seldom have access to technology that is not only surgically precise in its response to changes in voltage and current but can also offer seamless connectivity for data collection and control.

Willoughby-based Process Technology, however, has created a name for itself as a player serving the needs of semiconductor industries worldwide. It is one of the world’s leading providers of power supply solutions critical to producing high-quality semiconductors and creating error-free surface finishes. “Both the surface finishing and semiconductor industries require technology that can deliver extremely precise currents,” says Sid Srivastava, senior VP of Process Technology. In processes where surfaces are plated with gold or silver, a stable, fastidious supply of electricity is required to ensure an even surface finish. Semiconductor manufacturing requires a far greater deal of power control since a difference of a few atomic layers can completely alter the product. Process Technology solves such mission-critical engineering challenges by delivering power supply solutions that enable manufacturers to easily create chips that perfectly match their designs.

Working with massive IC chip manufacturers such as Samsung, Intel, IBM, TSMC, and more, the Process Technology team strives to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in semiconductor technologies. “Every new generation of chips comes with a newer set of challenges for the equipment makers. And we provide them with the necessary equipment for specific/discrete chip designs,” adds Srivastava.

We provide solutions that offer a very high precision of current and voltage as well as seamless connectivity for data collection and control of our power supplies

Similarly, on the surface finishing side of the business, the firm works with machine designers and supplies them with high precision tooling systems to manufacture precious metal plating equipment. “We offer power supply equipment over a very wide range of amperage. Starting at a few milliamps up to 10,000 amps, our power supplies deliver current with extreme accuracy,” says Ralf Daube, power supply product manager at Process Technology. Such precision-oriented tools help customers reduce downtime, improve efficiencies, save energy and expenses, and most importantly, devise cutting-edge products. Daube and Srivastava further elucidate the precision provided by the organization’s tools over a broad spectrum of current. “While an ordinary power supply may operate at a range of 10 to 50 amps, it delivers steady and accurate power only at the higher output range. These solutions are unreliable at the extremities of their operational ranges,” says Srivastava. However, Process Technology’s solution allows clients to operate at any amperage in the range, precisely and reliably.

Additionally, the tools offer consistent and seamless connectivity via automated controls and data logging. Through effortless PLC control, operators can focus solely on monitoring systems rather than manually managing parameters such as temperature, voltage, and current. This automation combined with the plug-and-play nature of Process Technology’s solutions creates a considerable boost in worker efficiency. To further improve user-experience, data is collected and stored such that devices can be operated multiple times under the same settings via a loop controller. “We are fairly advanced in recipe control when it comes to our power supplies,” adds Srivastava.

Process Technology’s solutions incorporate real-time data collection, which serves as a perfect record of quality control during every operation.

A customer interaction that highlights the quality of Process Technology’s solutions is when one of the company’s engineers helped the client install a new product. While the engineer was at the client’s site, she was shown a competitor’s brand new product that the client had received as a demo. The product had several knobs on it to control the power supply. It would also have taken the client a month to set it up with their PLC. In stark contrast, Process Technology could offer devices that not only calibrated parameters with precision, automatically but could also be integrated into existing systems within 15 minutes. “Just being able to plug-and-play and press few buttons on the front of a screen is a huge advantage,” states Jody Richards, President of the company. “The high precision of our power supplies, automated controls, data logging, seamless connectivity, and ability to repeat loops have brought about significant quality improvements and have taken out operator error from the equation,” she continues.

Not only has Process Technology doubled itself in the last five years, but Jody Richards has also been bestowed upon the recognition of 2020 EY Entrepreneur of The Year in the East Central region. As a world leader in providing stellar electric heater solutions, Process Technology now aims to achieve the same proficiency in power supplies. The company has a robust product roadmap where it plans to enter the high-power segment of the industry while also expanding on its current toolsets. “We will continue to invest in increasing user-friendliness and data connectivity because we see much positive feedback from the market; and we will take it to a whole different level of how you can control, connect, and use the data from the power supplies,” concludes Jody.