SmarAct GmbH

SmarAct's wafer stages provide high-performance positioning for semiconductor manufacturing, inspection, metrology, and research. Configurable for wafers up to 300 mm and 2 to 6 degrees of freedom, they combine piezo-based and/or electromagnetic drive technologies to meet application-specific requirements for fine positioning, travel range, and dynamics. Optional PICOSCALE Interferometers and METIRIO® optical encoders add high-resolution position feedback and closed-loop control. Wafer chucks, granite bases, single- or double-sided wafer access, and configurations for HV and UHV environments are available. With in-house engineering and extensive customization, SmarAct wafer stages can be tailored to specific processes and system architectures.

High-precision alignment is essential throughout semiconductor manufacturing, from lithography and wafer testing to advanced assembly and integration processes. SmarAct develops customizable motion and metrology solutions for mask-to-wafer, chip-to-wafer, and wafer-to-wafer alignment. Depending on the application, different positioning technologies can be combined to control lateral, rotational, vertical, and angular motion. Solutions can incorporate wafer handling, force sensing, metrology, microscopy, and automation according to the process requirements. SmarAct’s modular approach and in-house engineering support both application-specific subsystems and more complex automated equipment.

SmarAct provides modular motion, alignment, and control technologies for optical and electro-optical testing of photonic integrated circuits at wafer level. High-resolution piezo scanning, multi-axis fiber positioning, wafer motion, and automated alignment algorithms can be combined according to the test process. SmarAct solutions support fast fiber-to-PIC alignment and can be extended with electrical probing, measurement equipment, and application-specific automation. Modular hardware and software allow machine builders and system integrators to create customized test equipment for R&D, device characterization, validation, and scalable photonics production testing.

SmarAct provides electrical probing solutions ranging from configurable positioning systems to the fully integrated SMARPROBE nanoprober. Designed for advanced semiconductor characterization, SMARPROBE combines closed-loop positioning of probes and samples with active position holding, low thermal drift, automated probe landing, CAD navigation, and predefined probing workflows. Up to eight probes can be positioned for electrical characterization, while the system can be integrated into existing electron microscopes. Its encoded motion system with 1 nm resolution supports repeatable and highly automated nanoprobing workflows while minimizing electron-beam exposure.

SmarAct Metrology is expanding into wafer metrology with a new phase-shifting interferometer currently in development. Based on a Fizeau configuration, the system is designed to capture the full surface topology of wafers up to 300 mm within just 1 ms with nanometer-scale resolution. Unlike point-by-point measurement approaches, the entire surface is captured in a single shot, opening new possibilities for fast, imaging-based wafer characterization. In addition to surface profilometry, the technology enables the rapid dynamic detection of height changes, targeting applications such as leak testing of semiconductor packages.