The performance of semiconductors continues to improve and their applications continue to expand. The various manufacturing equipment that produces them is required to respond to technological trends such as miniaturization of wiring and multi-layering, all while achieving higher productivity. For this reason, lithography equipment components require high-precision parts made of lightweight and rigid materials, and etching and deposition equipment components require plasma resistance and low particles. Also, they may require heat resistance of 600 degree C or higher or low dielectric loss. All of these demands have led to an increased use of ceramics. Kyocera’s Fine Ceramic products with high-precision and excellent mechanical properties are widely used in inspection equipment such as probers, wafer cutters, back grinders, and wafer transfer arms. In addition, sapphire is used for such applications as windows that require optical transparency, wafer carrier plates, wafer contact lift pins, and plasma introduction tubes.