MICRO:April 98:Product Technology News

The VCA-4100 surface analysis system for flat-panel displays accommodates panels ¾650 x 550 mm. The system helps operators obtain timely and accurate information in order to detect defects early in the process. It can be used to determine the cleanliness of glass panels before processing and to prepare the surface before photoresist application. The system can also be used as a quality control tool. Computerized measurement eliminates operator subjectivity that can cause misreads. The panel is placed on a large x-y stage and moved into the desired position. A computer-controlled droplet is released onto the substrate, and a fiber-optic light source and high magnification lens allow the operator to examine the droplet. Windows 95 application software automatically calculates the contact angle. Both data and images can be stored and printed for later analysis. The Argweld MKIII monitors the quality of back-purge gas during the welding of stainless-steel, chrome-molybdenum, titanium, and nickel alloys. The purge monitor's sensor has a 36-month lifetime, and the instrument's temperature compensation circuitry keeps the unit in calibration at all times. The monitor's range is 20.9% to 0.1% oxygen. Another model with a reading down to 0.1 ppm is available for critical applications. A rugged calibration knob, carrying strap, and a purging guide are standard features. CIS series closed ion gas analyzers provide a detection limit of 1 ppm for all gases and direct sampling at millitorr pressure. On-line process monitoring, control, purity verification, and residual gas analysis can be performed in real time using a Windows-based program. Mass range is ¾300 amu. The analyzers are programmable and also feature multiple-head operation. The FPA-3000EX5 resolves 0.22-µm features over an exposure area of 22 x 22 mm using conventional photolithographic processes. Designed for production of 64- and 256-Mb DRAMs and MPUs, the stepper processes more than 90 8-in. wafers