MICRO: Products

SiPHER Auto is a fully automated system for controlling metallic contamination and defect generation on 200- and 300-mm wafers. By providing rapid process feedback of wafer quality, it increases overall equipment effectiveness. The system can be used to inspect incoming wafers and monitor surface contamination. Rapid feedback allows it to reduce the number of batches out of specification. The unit's optics design enables it to detect defects faster and with greater sensitivity than other methods. Its ability to monitor the wafer surface, rather than the bulk silicon, enhances its ability to detect defects in the device-active region. The system includes advanced image processing and data logging for statistical process control, and complies with all automation standards. An improved slip inspection module for accurate and fast detection of slip is available as an option. Based on thick-film technology, ultrapure quartz heater modules for use in semiconductor wet-chemistry applications perform better than inefficient infrared quartz heaters and avoid the permeability problems associated with Teflon-coated products. The heating elements are applied directly onto the exterior surfaces of the quartz tubes, providing efficient transfer of heat energy and enabling rapid response to changes in flow and temperature. The state-of-the-art heaters are for use with aggressive chemicals, such as ammonium hydrochloride, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, phosphoric acid, and ultrapure 18-M Ω DI water. The modules are 50% smaller than competitive heaters and eliminate the risk of process contamination if heating elements fail. The units have a maximum process temperature of 180°C, maximum operating pressure of 75 psi, and a maximum flow rate of 35 L/min. The