Planar Semiconductor

About Planar Semiconductor

Planar Semiconductor develops and provides pulsed hydro-jet technology solutions, specifically wafer-cleaning systems for integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. Founded in 2000 by Rob Randhawa, the company aims to address challenges in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Randhawa, the company's CEO, conceptualized and has guided the development of its core technologies. The firm's business model is centered on selling these specialized machinery systems to semiconductor manufacturers.

The company's proprietary technology utilizes a vertical wafer orientation and pulses fluids hydraulically across the entire surface to remove contaminants without causing damage. This method is designed to enhance the yield and reliability of ICs, offering manufacturers a lower-cost solution for cleaning the front, back, and bevel edge of a wafer. A key feature of Planar's systems is its “True Green” technology, which significantly reduces the consumption of concentrated chemicals and water by an order of magnitude through its pulsed-jet system. The technology adds mechanical energy to the cleaning process, allowing for effective cleaning with just deionized water or highly diluted, specially formulated green chemistries.

Planar Semiconductor has a history of developing and shipping systems for various wafer sizes. The company has produced 100mm and 200mm systems that have been used in production environments, reportedly cleaning millions of wafers. More recently, it developed the Gen 2 advanced 300mm system, the Pulsar 3000, which is ready for volume production. The company has received venture capital funding, including an $8 million round in October 2021.