Through continuous process and equipment advancements, semiconductor manufacturers are approaching 14 nm feature sizes and heading even smaller, while hard-disk drive fly heights are now less than 10 nm. This ever-reducing device feature size requires comparable cleanliness-level improvements in ultrapure water (UPW).
Through continuous process and equipment advancements, semiconductor manufacturers are approaching 14 nm feature sizes and heading even smaller, while hard-disk drive fly heights are now less than 10 nm. This ever-reducing device feature size requires comparable cleanliness-level improvements in ultrapure water (UPW).
UPW purity is especially important with its high use in direct contact with wafers as a final cleaning and rinsing agent in many production steps. Leveraging recent advances in laser optics and detector technology, the Ultra DI® 20 Liquid Particle Counter can effectively monitor particles as small as 20 nm for very clean UPW systems. Monitoring is continuous and occurs in real time to enable maximum process control.
Designed to meet the challenges of UPW cleanliness monitoring in the microelectronics industry, the Ultra DI 20 Liquid Particle Counter provides continuous monitoring in real time to enable maximum process control. An ideal solution to enable continuous particle monitoring of an UPW system for modern semiconductor, hard-disk drive and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs) manufacturing, the Ultra DI 20 also correlates well with legacy 50 nm particle metrology for data continuity.
There are many opportunities to upgrade existing UPW systems by installing an Ultra DI 20 where a less sensitive particle counter is already installed. When upgrading to an Ultra DI 20, the existing 50 nm particle counter can be moved to a new location further upstream in the water system. Measuring water quality fluctuations into the microfiltration station allows further control of the water system at no additional cost.
For more information about monitoring of UPW systems using the Ultra DI20 download the application note now:
