Semiconductor
The semiconductor industry produces microprocessors, computer memory and many other devices used commonly in personal computers, cell phones, automobiles and many other electronics. Semiconductor manufacturing relies on vacuum for a number of its process steps including the deposition and removal of material from substrates, primarily silicon, but increasingly more exotic materials.
Rough vacuum is used in many steps including crystal growth, epitaxial layer deposition, thin film deposition, etch, diffusion, implant and metal deposition. Today’s semiconductor fabs rely almost exclusively on dry pump and booster technology for rough vacuum, however rotary vane pumps can still be found running in certain areas.
High vacuum pumps are utilized as well, with turbo pumps being prevalent in plasma etching, Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), ion implant and wafer degassing. Cryogenic pumps by quantity are a bit more abundant than turbos as they are used extensively in metal deposition, but also in ion implant.
In many processes high vacuum, and therefore rough vacuum pumps, are exposed to both dangerous and hazardous chemicals. To protect personnel and exhaust system infrastructure, as well as to either comply with environmental regulations or outright combat pollution and global warming, fabs must employ point of use gas abatement technology. Dry and wet abatement systems are primarily used in dry etch and implant, whereas diffusion, thin film deposition and epitaxial layer deposition typically rely on burn or hybrid burn-wet technology. Occasionally, hybrid technology will be used in dry etch if greenhouse gas abatement is an issue.
Dry etch also has the largest requirement for temperature control, with thin film and metal deposition also having this need. As many vacuum processes require a specific substrate or chamber temperature to be efficient and effective, fabs utilize point of use chillers and heat exchangers to delivery tightly controlled cooling fluid temperatures.
Trillium is well positioned to service the needs of the semiconductor industry with products and services including:
- New and Refurbished Products:
- Refurbished Dry Pumps
- New Cryopumps, Helium Compressors and Accessories
- New and Refurbished Temperature Control Unit
- New and Refurbished Gas Abatement Systems
- Service:
- Dry Pumps
- Rotary Vane Pumps
- Booster Pumps
- Cryo Pumps and Helium Compressors
- Temperature Control Units (Chillers and Heat Exchangers)
- On Site Gas Abatement System Maintenance
