Overlay Metrology Tool

Bio-Rad

York, UK

The Q200 is an automated 200-mm overlay metrology tool for 0.13-µm and smaller processes. The system measures all layers, including CMP, buried layers, grainy images, and image contrast reversals. Fast pattern recognition and robotic wafer handling make possible a throughput of 80 wafers/hr at 20 sites/wafer, while real-time measurement analysis provides rapid process feedback. Its proprietary optics and advanced measurement algorithms optimize measurement integrity and precision. Measurement data are accessible via network connections, and user-defined recipes are fully transferable.

Cleanroom Boot

Vidaro

Kent, OH

The V-sole cleanroom boot is designed to eliminate such boot problems as premature heel wear, limited tread life, and toe and heel abrasion. The ESD-safe boot has a one-piece molded polyurethane sole formulated for durability. A toecap prevents fabric wear at the front, and a high heel prevents rear-fabric abrasion. A built-in step ledge facilitates boot removal so that stress on the fabric and seams is minimized.

Wafer Transport Robot

Asyst Technologies

Fremont, CA

Featuring a sealed-for-life, direct-drive gear system, the Axys 407 atmospheric robot provides reliable, repeatable wafer transfer into and out of process tools. The robot incorporates four field-replaceable subassemblies for easy maintenance, while the reduced number of parts makes possible an MCBF of >10 million cycles. Compatible with better than Class 1 environments, it can move either 200- or 300-mm wafers from any position in a wafer carrier into the process station or loadlock of any process tool. Proprietary software enables the robot to move wafers from two front-opening unified pods without the need for a horizontal linear track. The system is also offered as a drop-in replacement.

XRF Wafer Analyzer

Philips Analytical

Almelo, The Netherlands

A compact, high-throughput, 300-mm-compatible x-ray fluorescence wafer analyzer offers precision to 0.1% relative. The fully automatic PW2830 XRF analyzer can process up to 15 wafers/hr, determining layer composition, stoichiometry, thickness, contamination, dopant levels, and surface uniformity for a variety of process films. It can view any position on the wafer surface via software-switchable spots that are typically 40 and 10 mm diam. The instrument provides immediate readouts of element-specific information in checking the quality of boro phosphosilicate, metals, silicides/salicides, nitrides, metallization, oxides, low- and high-k dielectrics, ferroelectrics, polysilicon, and other process steps. The instrument features >98% uptime, with an MTBF of >1000 hours. Standard stages accept 150-, 200-, and 300-mm wafers, with FOUP, SMIF, cassette, and manual-loading wafer-handling options.

Height-Adjustable Workbench

Lista International

Holliston, MA

The Height-Right adjustable workbench can be moved up and down through a range of 15 in. in order to accommodate the user's height. Suited for test, repair, and assembly applications, the ergonomically designed workbench supports a static load of 1200 lb and has a dynamic capacity of 600 lb. It is engineered to support the manufacturer's FlexWorks accessory system, which enhances bench functionality. Its leg design allows the center panel to be removed as necessary.

Etch-Process Manometer

MKS Instruments

Andover, MA

The Baratron temperature-controlled Etch Manometer is designed for deposit-forming plasma etch applications such as advanced metal etch. Via a deposition baffle built into its sensor housing that prevents film deposits from forming on the measuring diaphragm, the instrument avoids measurement uncertainties caused by process-induced zero drift. It is also kept at 100°C to minimize the deposition of condensable gases. Particulate by-products of accelerated deposition and etch processes are prevented from causing zero drift by a patented two-stage contaminant exclusion system. The capacitance manometer is accurate to ±0.25% of reading and is available in full-scale ranges down to 50 mTorr.

High-Voltage Power Supplies

Spellman High Voltage Electronics

Hauppauge, NY

The SLS line of high-voltage power supplies provides up to 2000 W, with outputs ranging from 160 to 360 kV. Applications include ion-beam implantation, electron guns, and particle accelerators. The power supplies are designed with high-frequency resonant inverter circuitry and provide 0.1% p-p ripple and 0.5% stability. The lightweight high-voltage multiplier unit is made of interlocking 20-kV wafers that can be configured to build many different output layouts. The supplies feature overcurrent, overvoltage, and arc protection.

Airflow Measurement System

Cambridge AccuSense

Shirley, MA

The Airgrid hardware tool enhances the performance of the Quattro Flow air-velocity analyzer for HEPA filter testing. The 3-lb mobile device measures airflow directly with four individual sensors, taking four point readings simultaneously, and automatically computes average air velocity and volumetric flow in real time. Internal firmware can store four or eight readings for hundreds of filters; results are stored in memory until deleted by the user. With a bendable telescopic pole extending to more than 6 ft, the device enables measurements to be taken around cleanroom equipment and in other awkward locations. Individual and average readings for different cleanrooms, different filters, and different zones can be labeled, retrieved, and added to a database.

Computer Workstations

Eagle MHC

Clayton, DE

Mobile computer workstations can be used in cleanroom manufacturing, electronic assembly, and material-handling facilities as well as in other applications. The flexible workstations measure 24 x 24 x 55 in. high, with a 39-in. working height, and have shelves adjustable in 1-in. increments. A swivel mousepad holder can be mounted at right or left. Other options include a keyboard drawer, an antistatic drag chain, and a choice of decorative, swivel, or swivel/brake casters. The QuadTruss open-wire design enhances shelf strength and reduces dust and moisture buildup. The workstations are available with a chrome or stainless-steel finish and can be supplied in custom configurations.

Film-Thickness Metrology Tool

ADE

Westwood, MA

A high-speed film-thickness measurement and mapping tool is designed specifically for leading-edge characterization of advanced thin epitaxial films. The EpiScan 1000 uses model-based infrared spectral reflectometry to produce accurate readings for epi films as thin as 0.3 µm. It can also accurately measure films on substrates with resistivity as high as 0.06 -cm. The system can map 25 points on a 200-mm wafer in <1 minute, thus facilitating precise uniformity verification on a full-production basis.

Dry Process Pump

Alcatel Vacuum Technology

Hingham, MA

ADP/ADS Series Two semiconductor process pumps are based on multistage Roots technology. The dry pumps feature a nitrogen mass-flow sensor and standby purge function, and they provide precise temperature control and power-failure protection. They have a smaller footprint than predecessors and offer improved backup management. Fully SEMI S2-93 compliant, the pumps are available with flows ranging from 112 to 1150 m³/hr.

UHP Pressure Transducer

Setra Systems

Boxborough, MA

The Model 217 pressure transducer for monitoring specialty gas processes in high-purity gas delivery systems and semiconductor process tools can be installed on a modular block-type gas stick or panel. Featuring stable, reliable variable-capacitance sensing technology, the transducer has a down-mount C-seal pressure fitting and a small swept sensor chamber of electropolished Type 316L stainless steel for contaminant-free operation and system purging. Pressure ranges from 0­25 to 0­3000 psi in gauge, absolute, or compound pressure are available. Bar ranges from 0­7 to 0­200 bar are also offered. Accuracy is within either 0.25% of full scale or 1.0% of the reading.

Relief Valve

Plast-O-Matic Valves

Cedar Grove, NJ

A high-flow 3-in. NPT relief valve for corrosive and ultrapure liquids also serves as a back-pressure regulator and bypass valve. The Series RVTX angle-pattern valve is made of Grade 1, Type 1 PVC and comes with a choice of Viton or EPDM elastomeric seal. It can be customized or made of other materials as needed. The valve opens rapidly, providing high sensitivity to changing pressure. A stainless-steel control spring does not contact the liquid. Relief or back pressure is adjustable between 5 and 100 psi, and maximum flow is 200 gal/min.

UHP Fluorothermoplastic

Dyneon

Oakdale, MN

A UHP perfluoroalkoxy is available for the manufacture of tools and fittings used in semiconductor manufacturing and other environments requiring a high degree of contamination control. The ultrapure grade of the fluorothermoplastic is the type of material used for wafer carriers, tubing, fittings, and pump parts. Pipes and tubes of solid PFA UHP are suited for transporting high-purity semiconductor process chemicals. The material exhibits excellent heat resistance, electrical properties, and chemical and weather resistance.

Atomic-Layer Deposition System

Genus

Sunnyvale, CA

Designed for depositing ultrathin films on logic and DRAM devices with 0.1-µm feature sizes, patented atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology lays down films with a high degree of uniformity and conformality even in extremely large aspect ratio structures. Providing thickness control at the atomic level, the ALD is delivered via the established Lynx2 platform, a multiple-film system with four-process-module capability, which has demonstrated reliability in high-volume production.

Safety Valve

EM-Technik

Maxdorf, Germany

A lightweight, compact safety valve for semiconductor applications keeps aggressive media away from equipment parts that could be damaged. The Series 5 valve is made of polypropylene, PVDF, or PFA and is sealed over a conical nipple and Hastelloy spring. It provides automatic ventilation for compressed-air fittings, preventing contamination of the compressed-air cycle by unwanted media. Female threads in the standard size of G 1/4 in. (DIN ISO 228) accommodate many possible connections.

Scanning Optical Microscope

ThermoMicroscopes

Sunnyvale, CA

The Aurora-2 near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) provides sub-diffraction-limit spatial resolution in an open-architecture platform that enables easy access to signals and interfacing to external detectors. Resolution down to 30 nm facilitates research involving thin-film analysis, optical lithography, and magneto-optical analysis and characterization of semiconductor lasers, optical fibers, and waveguides. The microscope employs proprietary tuning fork­based shear-force modulation to maintain constant tip-to-surface proximity with 1-nm vertical resolution and no optical interference. The precise proximity control allows independent optical and topographic maps to be generated simultaneously. The NSOM system can operate in either reflection or transmission mode.

UHP Pressure Transducer

Millipore

Allen, TX

The SolidSense pressure transducer provides stable, reliable control for UHP gas delivery systems. Featuring patented thin-film sensor technology, the compact transducer has wetted surfaces of electropolished Type 316L VIM/VAR stainless steel and Hastelloy, in flow-through and single-ended configurations. A broad selection of pressure fittings and electrical outputs is available. Temperature compensation is precisely maintained over the 0°­130°F range. To maximize equipment uptime, the transducer is easy to install and contains field-replaceable electronics.

Probe Card Needle Cleaner

Applied Precision

Issaquah, WA

The microBurst contact resistance reduction system uses microcluster beam technology to remove the oxidation layer from probe card needles. Designed to reduce the need for retesting, the noncontact, nonchemical cleaning system removes thin films and particles from wafer probe cards by atomizing a conducting liquid via an electric field at the tip of a capillary. The resulting microclusters are ejected from the capillary in a divergent spray. The injection of low-energy electrons neutralizes the microcluster beam so that charge buildup on the probe card is avoided. The process produces no measurable changes in probe tip alignment, planarity, or topography.

Bulk-Gas Regulator

Dräger Tescom

Selmsdorf, Germany

The 15-Series bulk-gas regulator features a flow capacity (C^_v) of 8.0, a rated flow of 11,000 L/min, reduced threads in the wetted areas, and minimal entrapment spaces. The regulator is made of Type 316L stainless steel, with internal finishes of 10-Ra µin. Spring adjustment, wrench adjustment, or air actuation and a choice of port sizes up to 2 in. are available. The inlet pressure rating is 20 bar; the outlet pressure range is 0­9 bar. Using the regulator with an optional electronic controller creates a closed-loop pressure control system.

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