Semiconductor

SEMICONDUCTOR

You can trust FMS’s unparalleled expertise in contamination control to safeguard some of the most demanding ultra-clean facilities in the world: semiconductor wafer fabrication. Photolithography contamination directly impacts wafer yields, so extreme cleanliness in the fabrication environment is imperative. Even the tiniest particles can devastate silicon patterns. We have the technology to detect them.

Unwanted particles of any size in process gases pose unacceptable risks, but nanoparticles that escape conventional optical detection represent the greatest threat to wafer integrity, die quality and yields. In ISO Class 1 and 2 cleanrooms, where fabrication takes place at the 3nm and 5nm scale, a single 10-nanometre particle, which is 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can compromise hundreds or thousands of die before discovery as the step-and-repeat litho exposure process means that every chip on the silicon wafer could be ruined.

The best defence is early detection. That’s why FMS provides the TSI AeroTrak™ 9001CPC Condensation Particle Counter – the only practical instrument capable of reliably monitoring nanoscale particles. Designed for use at manufacturing tools, within high-purity gas lines, FOUP storage and cleanroom environments, it ensures the highest levels of protection against contamination.

The 9001CPC uses ultra-pure or de-ionised water to generate a condensing atmosphere that captures nanoparticles – eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals or toxic fluids that could threaten the cleanroom environment. With FMS, semiconductor manufacturers can protect yields, maximise die quality and maintain absolute process integrity.