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ROBERT TORRES, JOSEPH VININSKI, BELGIN YUCELEN & VIRGINIA HOULDING, Matheson Tri-Gas Advanced Technology Center,
Longmont, CO, USA
DAVID TREADWELL, CP Industries, Inc., McKeesport, PA, USA
JOHN W. FELBAUM, Digital Wave Corporation, Englewood, CO, USA

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor processes have reached a point requiring an evolutionary leap in speciality gas delivery. Conventional gas delivery from cylinders requires frequent cylinder changes and multiple connections, which increases the probability of impurity introduction, decreases the lifetime of the gas manifolds and increases the chance of accidents. Additionally, conventional gas delivery requires many more components and manifolds to deliver an equal amount of gas compared with a bulk source. The economic and technical advantages of bulk gas systems offer a solution to the demands of next-generation wafer processing. Bulk systems have distinct advantages over conventional cylinders in terms of safety, gas consistency, quality control, purity levels and cost. The first worldclass bulk speciality gas container for corrosive and reactive gases has been produced. The inner surface of the container consists of polished, electrolytically deposited nickel-200, with externally threaded end connections made from Hastelloy C-22™. This configuration ensures that all wetted areas of the container are made from corrosion-resistant materials. Although the package can be used for nearly all speciality gases, it has been demonstrated to be quite effective with corrosive gases. The package has been extensively investigated and results are presented from measurements of surface roughness, particle contamination, moisture concentration, inboard leak rates, outboard leak rates and metal contamination. Metals data from shelf life studies was obtained after one year, and will also be presented.