SEMICON Europa 2026 showcases semiconductor R&D and product innovation

Europe’s largest event for electronics manufacturing comes to Munich on 10−13 November 2026. Here are some of the companies and product innovations to look out for on the exhibition floor

“Europe’s next era: navigating the perfect storm” is the theme of SEMICON Europa 2026. A focus that centres on the increasingly interconnected relationship between technological innovation and the shifting geopolitical landscape.

As global dynamics grow more complex, Europe faces both unprecedented challenges and opportunities that will define its strategic position for decades to come.

SEMICON Europa 2026 will be held at the Messe München in Germany from 10–13 November where it will attract 25,000 semiconductor professionals and presentations from over 200 speakers.

The event will feature the CxO Summit, where semiconductor leaders will explore such strategies and global partnerships that are needed to navigate the perfect storm shaping Europe’s microelectronics industry.

SEMICON Europa 2026 will also feature a huge exhibition, spread out over three halls with over 500 exhibitors from around the world.

Here are some of the companies and product innovations to look out for on the SEMICON Europa 2026 show floor.

SmarAct’s modular wafer positioning for semiconductor manufacturing

As device architecture becomes more complex and manufacturing processes demand increasingly precise alignment and inspection, equipment manufacturers need technologies that combine performance with straightforward system integration.

At SEMICON Europa 2026, SmarAct will introduce two new demonstrators highlighting its latest developments in precision positioning and optical metrology.

One is a new wafer stage demonstrator, introducing an approach for precision positioning in semiconductor and photonics equipment.

The platform combines compact mechanical design with configurable positioning capabilities. Standardized interfaces, shared core functions, and application-specific options provide a foundation for adapting the system to different machine architectures while reducing development and integration effort.

Potential applications range from wafer inspection and metrology to advanced packaging, hybrid bonding, lithography, and electron-beam inspection. These processes place demanding requirements on positioning accuracy, stability, and system integration, particularly as wafer processing and heterogeneous integration continue to evolve.

Rather than offering a fixed configuration, SmarAct’s modular approach allows positioning solutions to be developed around the requirements of the customer’s equipment. Drawing on its in-house capabilities in motion control, metrology, and automation, SmarAct can address mechanical, measurement, control interfaces and process development as part of an integrated system design.

SmarAct’s flexible surface metrology with phase-shifting interferometry

In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer shape metrology helps identify deviations in wafer geometry and surface characteristics that can affect subsequent processing steps. Accurate measurements provide valuable feedback for process optimization, helping manufacturers improve production consistency and reduce defect rates. Similarly, precise surface characterization of lenses and mirrors supports the refinement of optical manufacturing processes and the reliable production of high-quality optical components.

A second demonstrator at SEMICON Europa 2026 will showcase SmarAct’s phase-shifting interferometer, a modular measurement instrument for high-precision 3D surface characterization.

Beyond measurement accuracy, the key advantage of SmarAct’s approach lies in combining interferometric metrology with configurable motion technology and software.

A key feature is its configurable field of view. Depending on the measurement task, users can capture larger areas in a single measurement or acquire multiple smaller regions and combine them through image stitching.

Combined with SmarAct wafer stages, including configurations with a central aperture, the system can also support measurement arrangements that provide access to both sides of a wafer. This opens up possibilities for more comprehensive surface characterization within an integrated setup.

Designed for operation in environments where vibrations may be present, the interferometer supports integration into industrial equipment and production areas. Fast measurements and an intuitive user interface simplify operation, while the combination with SmarAct’s positioning systems enables coordinated sample handling, precise motion, and measurement. SmarAct’s development software – SmarAct Control & Process Environment – provides additional flexibility for customized measurement and automation processes.

Both demonstrators reflect SmarAct’s approach to developing precision technologies for increasingly demanding manufacturing processes. While the wafer stage platform focuses on compact, configurable motion systems, the phase-shifting interferometer extends the company’s capabilities in optical surface metrology.

Together, they illustrate how positioning, measurement, and automation technologies can be adapted to different equipment architectures rather than requiring customers to design their processes around fixed solutions.

• For more information visit SmarAct at booth Hall C1, Booth 852 or explore the company’s technologies at www.smaract.com.

Thyracont’s vacuum measurement in loadlocks: one transducer for the entire cycle

A loadlock cycle spans from atmospheric pressure down to 10⁻⁴ mbar and back again. Fast pump-down, reproducible transfer conditions and safe pressure equalization before the door opens all depend on reliably measuring across this range. This can require several sensors, each adding integration effort and another component to coordinate.

The Thyracont VSL combines two piezoresistive diaphragm sensors with a Pirani sensor. Together, they cover an absolute pressure range of 1200 to 10⁻⁴ mbar and a relative pressure range of −1060 to +340 mbar.

The piezoresistive sensors track pump-down and venting, while the Pirani sensor provides measurement in the lower pressure range. Response time is 40 ms; accuracy is 0.3% of full scale from 1200 to 40 mbar and 10% of reading from 40 to 2·10⁻³ mbar. Repeatability is 0.1% of full scale and 2% of reading (down to 10⁻² mbar), respectively.

By default, the VSL performs a continuous transition between the piezoresistive and Pirani sensors from 15 to 5 mbar, with the sensor signals assimilated during the transition. Depending on the requirements of the vacuum process, the transition can be configured individually. Within the 1 to 20 mbar range, users can select a direct switch-over or a continuous transition.

The piezoresistive sensors measure independently of gas type, whereas the Pirani measurement is gas dependent. Consequently, the selected transition range also determines the pressure range in which the VSL output remains independent of gas type. With the default setting, the output is gas-independent above 15 mbar. The VSL is adjusted for nitrogen and dry air; for other gases, correction factors can be set so that the output is correct below 0.1 mbar.

For door opening, the system needs to determine when the loadlock has reached pressure equalization with the surrounding atmosphere. Conventional relative-pressure measurement may require an additional elastomer-sealed sensor. The VSL uses a fully metal-sealed design and calculates the differential pressure from chamber pressure and ambient pressure instead.

The specified accuracy of the relative-pressure measurement is 0.25% of the 1400 mbar span (±3.5 mbar).

Each sensor is temperature-compensated individually, contributing to stable and reproducible measurement results across changing operating conditions.

The VSL communicates via RS485 with either 0-10V, EtherCAT or PROFINET output. Two freely configurable relay switch points can be assigned to sensor functions, such as detecting pressure equalization between the loadlock and its surroundings. An optional backlit LCD provides direct pressure readout at the transducer.

• To learn more about the VSL and discuss pressure measurement for loadlocks and other semiconductor vacuum applications, visit Thyracont Vacuum Instruments at Hall C1, Booth 848.