Semiconductor Manufacturing & Display Manufacturing

Background

The global demand for devices with increasingly faster computing power while reducing power consumption as well as heat dissipation is the key driver of the modern semiconductor industry. To increase transistor density, the size of transistors must be reduced. Current 14-nm/7-nm technology is expected to be replaced in commercial mass production by the 3-nm node in 2022 with the advent of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Such devices contain more than 100 million transistors per square millimeter, and the actual size of a single transistor approaches that of molecules containing carbon chains of a few atoms. Any impurities can have a detrimental effect on the final product. A clean production environment is therefore of paramount importance to avoid failures during manufacturing.

Problem

Airborne molecular contaminants (AMCs) pose a major challenge during the production process in the semiconductor industry. They can lead to process interruptions or even unusable charges. The source of AMCs is diverse, both external, and internal. Air filtration systems are capable of reducing unwanted dust particles but can fail when volatile organic and inorganic components pass through. Personnel entering a clean room can be a source of contamination. In the process itself, dopants, acids, bases, solvents, or outgassed molecular substances are impurities that can severely affect the quality of the final product. Typical impurities in the gas phase that require constant monitoring are SO2, NH3, NO2, H2S, PGMEA, PGME, acetic acid, IPA, ethanol, ethylene glycol, THF, TMS, NMP, aromatics, and refrigerants, to name a few. Conventional analytical methods cannot provide results within a short period of time because they often require time-consuming sampling and sample preparation before the actual analytical process can be initiated. Results may not be available for hours, too late for timely intervention if a process is already affected. To avoid costly long process interruptions and end product failures, continuous real-time monitoring of cleanroom air has become a necessity. Consequently, analytical methods for evaluating cleanroom air require not only high specificity for the molecules being analyzed but also ultra-high sensitivity.

Solution

V&F's flagship AirSense mass spectrometer provides real-time analysis with high specificity and ultra-high sensitivity across a broad spectrum (7-519 amu) of contaminants. The proprietary technology is based on ion-molecule reaction mass spectrometry (IMR - MS), a method in which sample molecules are ionized by charge transfer. It can be used to target individual molecules within a gas matrix or to analyze the composition of the matrix over the full range of possible AMCs. Very fast response to concentration changes in the low ppb and sub-ppb range is continuously reported by the software, allowing timely intervention in the relevant process. Typical examples are AMC monitoring in clean rooms, composition at the tool level, and control of outgassing products in Front Opening Universal Pods (FOUP) during wafer transfer.

V&F Clean Room Monitoring Semiconductor and Display Production

Advantage

The V&F IMR-MS multicomponent analyzers offer a high degree of automation and are equipped with user-friendly software. The analyzers are characterized by their rapid response time without sample gas conditioning. Their robust design ensures a high degree of stability, minimal downtime, and less maintenance.

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Highlights

Stand-alone or process-integrated automated solution
Multi-channel or single-point analysis
Robust continuous real-time AMC monitoring 24/7
Simultaneous detection of a large number of AMCs
Ultra-high sensitivity

Reference clients (excerpt)

Suitable devices

AirSense