We Specialize in Engineering Solutions
At China Advanced Ceramic, we’re committed to providing solutions that make your products work better, more precisely, and more reliably. When the challenges of your application exceed the specifications of our standard products, we can work with you to engineer a customized solution specifically suited to your unique application challenges.
From simple modifications of our standard products to custom-engineered precision-motion assemblies for new applications, we specialize in engineering solutions.
Many feedthrough parameters can be modified or customized to ensure that the final product matches your application. Some common customized features include:
Size and Shape
- Small diameter or short length designs
- Large diameter or long shaft designs
- Fit within existing envelopes
Motion
- Multi-axial rotation
- Rotary and linear motion
- Integrated motor, gear drive, or drive coupling
Mounting, Seal and Housing Configuration
- Alternative materials
- Surface finishes and coatings
- Customized flanges
- Location of sealing stages (on the stator or rotor)
Performance Features
- Ferrofluid type
- External magnetic field
- Bearing type, material, and position
Shaft Features and Performance
- Shaft strength
- Shaft termination features
- Shaft material
- Material combinations
- Coatings, surface finishes
Performance Features
- Ferrofluid type
- External magnetic field
- Bearing type, material, and position
Subsystem Integration Design and Assembly
- End effectors and components
- Motor, in-line drive, and Ferrodrive integration
- Advanced features to integrate with complex tools
Custom Design Examples
Many feedthrough parameters can be modified or customized to ensure that the final product matches your application. Some common customized features include:
With over thirty years of experience developing and manufacturing precision sealing solutions for our customers, China Advanced Ceramic has developed custom solutions for many of the world’s most demanding applications. Here are some common examples of custom engineered feedthroughs and sealing sub-systems that we have developed.
Compact Designs
China Advanced Ceramic offers extremely compact seals with small seal envelopes. These are sometimes the only option in the case of retrofits where there is limited axial or radial space available. In new designs they are often beneficial to the overall system layout.
Typical applications that China Advanced Ceramic compact designs are used for include:
- FLIR devices
- Retrofit feedthroughs
- Rinser-dryers
High-speed, Large Diameter Hollow Shaft Feedthroughs
High speed, large diameter hollow shaft feedthroughs are ideal for optical coating applications, e.g. fiber optic filter manufacturing. These feedthroughs are configured with a double Ferrofluidic seal to enable static access to the rear of the seal. Drive is supplied via a toothed belt through the side of the housing or an integral brushless motor within the feedthrough housing. The product can then be accurately observed or measured through the large diameter hollow shaft without the difficulties associated with a rotating window. Seals with an 8″ internal diameter can be used at speeds up to 1,000 rpm.
Typical applications of high-speed, large diameter hollow shaft feedthroughs include:
- Optical coating applications
- 300 mm wafer rotation mechanisms
Multi-axial Feedthroughs
China Advanced Ceramic offers multi-axial feedthroughs for wafer handling applications. These offer extremely high repeatability with zero backlash. Linear motion is often incorporated as is cantilevered bearing configuration to optimize for UHV (Ultra High Vacuum) applications. Unlike magnetic couplings, the feedthroughs employ a continuous shaft per axis to transmit torque to the load, so torsional stiffness is maximized, allowing for the highest torque transmission of any UHV wafer-handling rotary seal technology.
Typical applications of multi-axial feedthroughs include:
- Wafer handling
- CVD wafer rotation with stationary inner shaft
Rotary-linear Feedthroughs
Rotary linear feedthroughs integrate a Ferrofluidic rotary seal with an edge-welded metal bellows linear seal. They use pre-loaded angular contact rotary bearings and sleeve or ball-type linear bearings. Such feedthroughs are ideal for wafer handling and aligning applications where precise indexing and translation are involved.
Typical applications of rotary-linear feedthroughs include:
- Wafer handling and alignment with Z-motion
High-precision Spindle Design
Ferrofluidic spindles can be engineered to rotate with as little as 0.0001″ (0.005 mm) of run-out. These products are ideal for high precision wafer handling/aligning applications and wafer/substrate rotation applications where wobble requirements are very stringent. Axial, radial and torsional spindle stiffness are achieved by custom engineering the bearing and shaft designs.
Typical applications that China Advanced Ceramic high-precision spindle designs are used for include:
- Wafer handling
- Ion implantation
In-line Drive Motorized Feedthroughs
An in-line motorized feedthrough is compact in comparison to an offset or shaft-coupled drive. Ferrofluidic in-line motorized feedthroughs feature a brushless servomotor and matching amplifier with power supply and sinusoidal commutation. Application appropriate feedback devices and command loops are incorporated. As the feedthrough has the motor fully integrated around the shaft rather than coupled to it, it provides optimum drive-to-load torque efficiency over the life of the product. Direct drive feedthroughs are available with either solid or hollow shafts.
Typical applications that in-line drive motorized feedthroughs are used for include:
- Any application where a motor is used, particularly where servo control is necessary
Rotary Gas Unions
Ferrofluidic rotary gas unions offer manufacturers of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and other deposition systems an efficient and flexible method of introducing gases into a process. A static gas feed runs into the rotating shaft which supports the wafer. This ensures that the gas outlet is in the center of the wafer, resulting in uniform coating characteristics.
More information on Rotary Gas Unions can be found in the Gas and Vacuum Unions section of the China Advanced Ceramic web site. Read More >>
Reactive Gas Seal
Reactive gas seals for applications such as MOCVD use an inert fluorocarbon based fluid. They feature a cantilevered seal design to protect the bearings from process gases. Special materials are used in the seal construction. Inert gas purges or protective plating can also be added to prevent corrosive attack of seal components.
More information on Reactive Gas Seals can be found in the Gas and Vacuum Unions section of the China Advanced Ceramic web site. Read More >>
Retrofit Feedthroughs
China Advanced Ceramic offers a range of retrofit feedthroughs that we’ve already designed for many vacuum systems supplied by leading semiconductor OEMs. If your part isn’t in our existing library of retrofit designs, we can design and optimize a retrofit seal to replace your current part with a Ferrofluidic seal.
More information about China Advanced Ceramic Retrofit Feedthroughs can be found on the Retrofit Seals page of the China Advanced Ceramic web site. Read More >>
Using a Standard Feedthrough as a Template
Our standard designs are often used as a template. While your requirements may almost fit one of our standard parts, our standard part may not be exactly what you need. Not all standard applications look the same, but it’s usually not difficult for us to make modifications to a standard China Advanced Ceramic design in order to meet your requirements. Common modifications include shaft length and mounting hole changes.
To modify a standard feedthrough, start by identifying the standard feedthrough that you want to base the design on. Once you have selected the correct part, contact your China Advanced Ceramic representative (either directly or using the form provided on the Ordering Information page), and we can work with you to specify the necessary changes.
Click the graphic that best represents the type of feedthrough or seal you’re looking for. A text description of each product will display if you simply roll your mouse over the graphic.
(CATALOG GOES HERE)If you have questions about pricing and availability, need more information about China Advanced Ceramic rotary feedthroughs, or if you have other Ferrofluidic seal requirements, you can submit your request using the form below or contact your China Advanced Ceramic representative directly >>
Special Orders, Modifications, and Customized Solutions for Unique Applications
Near-limitless Capabilities
With diameters of less than 5mm to beyond 1m, China Advanced Ceramic custom designs achieve the extreme rotary surface speeds needed to push system performance to new levels.
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