Online information source for semiconductor professionals

James M. Hanson, Swagelok Company, Ronnie A. Browne & Robert A. Shutler, Swagelok Semiconductor Services Company, Santa Clara, California, USA

ABSTRACT

New wet processes for semiconductor manufacturing, employing slurries, as well as HCl and HF at higher pressures and temperatures, are requiring higher standards for purity and improved design and materials for fluid-system components. OEMs, toolmakers and integrators are calling for longer life cycles, easier maintenance, resistance to permeation and reduced particle shedding in valves and other system components. SEMI F57-0301 provides baseline standards for purity, which are attainable assuming proper material selection, methods of design, manufacturing and quality-control testing. Third-party test results presented in this article corroborate this point of view. However, if SEMI F57 is to remain current, it must incorporate additional testing methods and even more stringent testing standards that have been developed by leading OEMs and circulated within the industry. Such testing includes BOC Edwards’ Dycon ExSM dynamic extraction test, which utilizes 37 per cent HCl, as well as other reliability tests with slurries, HCl and HF. Methodologies and conclusions discussed in this article are applicable not only to valves but also to many other liquid system components, such as flow meters, filter housings and regulators.