Advanced UV-LED Light Engine ONE C

The Industry's Workhorse in Mask Aligners for 6" and 8" Wafers

ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure Systems to Replace Conventional 1 kW Lamp Houses

Primelite’s UV-LED Exposure System Advanced Light Engine ONE C (ALE/1C) is a powerful spot light source for driving many high-performance industrial UV exposure tools. Typically these are semi-automated and automated mask aligners for 6″ (150 mm) and 8″ (200 mm) wafers or broadband wafer stepper systems (1X steppers / mini steppers). Featuring UV-LED technology, it outperforms conventional high-pressure mercury discharge lamps with excellent output stability and flexible spectrum control. It also consumes less power, does not generate as much heat, lasts longer, and requires minimal overall maintenance.

At Primelite, we have embraced the principle of building products to serve as a versatile platform. ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure Systems are no exception – they let you combine up to three UV LEDs in the optical path. In most cases, these are i-line (CWL 365 nm), h-line (CWL 405 nm), and g-line (CWL 436 nm) emitters with illumination power exceeding that of conventional 1-kW mercury discharge lamps.

Primelite Lithography UV-LED Exposure System Advanced Light Engine ONE C
Primelite lithography UV-LED Exposure System ALE/1C (controller and exposure subsystem)

ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure System Highlights:

ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure System Overview

ALE/1C units feature distributed designs that facilitate system integration. Our compact UV-LED Exposure Subsystems (ESS) sit directly in the optical path of your equipment, where the design envelope usually poses a challenge. You can place our separate Control Subsystem (CSS), which manages the power supply and cooling of the entire setup, at a more convenient location with fewer space constraints. And feel free to combine the ALE/1C Exposure System’s light exit with various light pipes, light guides, and additional optics.

Control Subsystem (CSS)

The CSS comes in two versions, one with a very small footprint and another that takes up 4U in 19″ racks. Both feature the same control interfaces, cooling system connectors, and a system status indicator. The rack mount version also has an exposure test key switch on the front panel to activate light output without external control signals.

Primelite Lithography UV-LED Control Subsystem Advanced Light Engine CSS
Primelite lithography UV-LED controller ALE CSS
Primelite Lithography UV-LED Exposure System Advanced Light Engine ONE C
Primelite lithography UV-LED Exposure System ALE/1C

Exposure Subsystem (ESS)

ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure Subsystems are light pipe-coupled spot light sources. Connected to a separate Control Subsystem (CSS) and equipped with your choice of optics, our UV-LED Light Engines provide all hardware and software needed to control and drive the internal UV-LED emitters. The UV-LED Exposure Subsystem’s compact design makes integration so easy, either as a retrofit for your current equipment or as part of a new tool.

All LED modules are field-replaceable. Swapping LEDs takes just minutes with no special tools needed.

Light Exit Options

We offer a selection of homogenizing light pipes, flexible LED light guides, and condensing optics for you to combine with ALE/1C Exposure Subsystems. These components come in very handy if you wish to transmit high-power radiation over long distances, increase uniformity, or adjust the collimation angle of the output radiation.

Primelite LED Performance Optics
Primelite LED Performance Optics

ALE/1C UV-LED Exposure System Output

Our standard ALE/1C setup combines UV-LED emitters with peak wavelengths around the i-line (365 nm), h-line (405 nm), and g-line (436 nm) of the mercury spectrum. All UV-LED emitters are individually controllable, so you can switch wavelengths without changing filters and customize the composition of your output spectrum.

Spectrum

Primelite UV-LED Exposure System ALE ONE C: Spectral Power CWL 365, 405, 436

Angular Distribution (from Light Pipe)

Primelite UV-LED Exposure System ALE ONE C: Angular Distribution Pattern

Power

Radiation [mW]1OpticsBroad­band (350 - 450 nm)i-line (365 nm)
ALE/1C (performance mode)Ø8.0 mm HEX AR50,00021,000
ALE/1C (standard mode)Ø8.0 mm HEX AR40,00017,000

1Deviation of ±10% possible

Our ALE/1C delivers up to 40 W total output in standard mode and 50 W in performance mode. To activate the performance mode, you need an additional chiller in the cooling circuit to keep the coolant temperature below 20°C.

System Properties and Specifications

Emitter options3 LEDs with CWL 365 nm, 405 nm, and 436 nm
Numerical apertureVariable: NA 0.6 (2α ~70°) with light pipe only and down to NA 0.15 (2α ~17°) with condenser
Output control
  • Individual LED power management and presets
  • High-resolution intensity adjustment (10-100%)
  • LED rise time approx. 1 millisecond
  • Continuous monitoring of optical output and feedback control
Communication interfaces
  • Discrete PLC interface (TTL)
  • USB (serial)
  • Ethernet / MODBUS TCP/IP (optional)
Thermal management
  • Liquid cooling with internal radiator (standard mode)
  • Optional external chiller (performance mode)
Dimensions (W H D)ESS:20 X 13 X 20.5 cm7.9 X 5.1 X 8.1"
CSS:20 X 15 X 45 cm7.9 X 5.9 X 17.7"
CSS (Rack):44 X 18 X 37 cm17.3 X 7.1 X 14.6"
WeightESS:5 kg11 lbs
CSS:9 kg20 lbs
CSS (Rack):10 kg22 lbs
Power supply110-240 VAC / 50-60 Hz / 1,000 W

Process stability like never before!