INDUSTRY NEWS

'Firesafe' plastics are scrutinized

A new Sematech-funded study will determine the cleanroom compatibility of so-called "firesafe" plastics used in fab environments. The R&D consortium has hired Factory Mutual Research Corp. (FMRC) of Norwood, MA, to examine the leaching, chemical resistance, and outgassing characteristics of materials designed by plastics manufacturers for their low combustibility. Archibald Tewarson, an FMRC physical chemist and principal investigator in the study, says the findings will ensure that chipmakers will have safe materials in their cleanrooms.

Sematech and FMRC will use the data to develop a new test protocol. The benchmark will establish criteria for determining whether their contamination characteristics make the materials suitable for fab use. Paul Croce, vice president and manager of FMRC's research division, notes that the study is a "milestone," marking the first time the company has been hired to research the compatibility of materials related to "fab operations involving contamination that is not fire induced." Research conducted by FMRC led to the development of the "FMRC 4910 protocol," a test standard for evaluating flame, smoke, and corrosion parameters for cleanroom materials. The new study is expected to enhance the 4910 benchmark. Meetings were held at Sematech in November to discuss the findings, and a full report will be issued before the end of December.

Partners to advance thin films

A research team from Lucent's Bell Labs and Emcore plan to develop new epitaxial technology to grow advanced thin films for use in future telecommunications devices. The team will focus on epitaxial machines, diagnostic tools, and control software at the Emcore facility in Somerset, NJ, and a recently renovated facility at Bell Labs' Crawford Hill site in Holmdel, NJ. Emcore is a supplier of compound semiconductor solutions and manufactures the TurboDisc process tool.

The collaboration will enable the company to enhance "the versatility and scalability of our basic tool," helping chipmakers increase yields and lower device costs, according to Reuben Richards, Emcore's president and CEO. Bell Labs will be the beta site for testing Emcore's new EpiView software control program. The partners will also develop tools which they say will assist crystal growers with in situ diagnostics for creating uniform thin films. A portable minienvironment made by Emcore engineers can accommodate as many as 21 2-in. wafers, reducing cleanroom overhead costs by allowing fab workers to move in-process microchips to crystal-growth machines without exposing the devices to the ambient air.

Water reclaim system debuts

A modular system that treats and reclaims wastewater from the CMP copper process has been introduced by U.S. Filter. The proprietary CMP Recovery System removes copper from slurry and discharges particles with the copper-free water to a subfab drain. The technology enables customers to also send wastewater to a centralized reclaim or reuse system. Information: 724/772-0044.

Metrology tool gets demo site

Balazs Analytical Laboratory in California began using two powerful metrology tools from the German company Atomika Instruments in October. The lab has established a demonstration site at its Sunnyvale headquarters for Atomika's total reflection x-ray fluorescence TXRF 8030W and secondary ion mass spectrometry SIMS 4500 systems. Balazs uses the TXRF tool with its VPD ICP-MS system for multielemental measurements of process-related contaminants. The SIMS tool enables fab engineers to qualify ion implanters and reactors by providing dopant concentration and shallow junction control, Balazs says. Information: 408/745-0600.

Five ESD standards published

Five standards covering ESD control have been published by the ESD Association. Three are new standard test methods, one is a draft standard practice, and one is an update of an existing standard. The new test methods address garments, seating, and work surfaces. ESD STM 2.1-Garments contains a method for measuring the electrical resistance of static control garments. ESD STM 12.1-Seating—Resistive Characterization offers a method for measuring the electrical resistance of static control seating, and ESD STM 4.2, ESD-Protective Worksurfaces Charge Dissipation Characteristics shows a means for measuring the charge-dissipation characteristics of surfaces used for ESD control. The draft standard practice, ESD DSP 3.3-Periodic Verification of Air Ionizers, offers a technique to periodically determine ion balance and charge neutralization time for ionizers in actual use locations. ESD STM 5.1-Sensitivity Testing, Human Body Model—Component Level is a revision of an existing standard. The rewritten standard changes the number of zaps per stress level and polarity from three to one. It also reduces the minimum time interval between zaps from 1 second to 300 milliseconds. A second technical change revises HBM tester specifications. Information: 315/339-6937.

MicroHome | Search | Current Issue | MicroArchives
Buyers Guide | Media Kit