By Inna Skvortsova, SEMI
The complexity of IC manufacturing for advanced nodes paired with the growing demand for higher yields and lower defectivity requires close alignment among industry stakeholders. New systematic improvements to system design, material choice, and quality assurance methodologies are needed to minimize every possible source of contamination and variation in the manufacturing process.
Specifically, manufacturers of semiconductors and microelectronic products are increasingly concerned about the consistency and quality of incoming critical materials and components, the quality of liquid chemicals and Ultrapure Water (UPW), and the impact of contaminants that may undermine process yield.
Today, advanced semiconductor manufacturing has reached the current limits of metrology for measuring contamination on both the wafers and in the high purity materials (i.e., killer size particles in liquid chemicals and ultrapure water). Furthermore, the ability of the most advanced filters to control particles in the sub-10nm range is also limited while high purity materials used in liquid delivery systems have never been qualified for sub-10nm size particles. Finally, particle shedding of sub-10nm particles from high-purity components located post-filter cannot be directly measured and only can be estimated using power-law extrapolation.
In collaboration with the IRDS (International Roadmap for Devices and Systems) teams, the Liquid Chemicals Technical Committee within the SEMI Standards Program drives standards development supporting current and future industry requirements for advanced node IC manufacturing.
To raise the awareness of industry best practices in the space of contamination control for process chemicals and chemicals distribution, the Liquid Chemicals Technical Committee has developed its first educational webinar, titled “SEMI Standards Enabling Proactive Yield Management for Advanced Nodes”.
Material presented in this webinar is intended for semiconductor and supply chain professionals involved in advanced processes contamination control. This also includes UPW and liquid chemical suppliers addressing the purity aspects associated with treatment and liquid delivery systems.
This webinar, focused on a proactive approach for particle control, provides a general overview, application, and case studies supported by experimental results of the use of the following SEMI standards:
- SEMI C79 - Guide to Evaluate the Efficacy of Sub-15 nm Filters Used in Ultrapure Water (UPW) Distribution Systems
- SEMI C93 - Guide for Determining the Quality of Ion Exchange Resin Used in Polish Applications of Ultrapure Water System
- SEMI F57 - Specification for Polymer Materials and Components Used in Ultrapure Water and Liquid Chemical Distribution Systems
- SEMI F61 - Guide to Design and Operation of a Semiconductor Ultrapure Water System
- SEMI F63 - Guide for Ultrapure Water Used in Semiconductor Processing
- SEMI F75 - Guide for Quality Monitoring of Ultrapure Water Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing
- SEMI F104 - Test Method for Evaluation of Particle Contribution of Components Used in Ultrapure Water and Liquid Chemical Distribution Systems
The webinar also includes information about a corresponding systematic approach for development and commercialization of new solutions to proactively address contamination issues.
Implementation of the SEMI Standards featured in this webinar aligned with semiconductor industry requirements as defined by the IRDS can substantially reduce the risk to yield, delivering increased manufacturing efficiencies and improved operational results for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Get Involved
If you have any questions regarding the SEMI Standards mentioned in this article or would like to participate in standards development, please contact SEMI staff, Inna Skvortsova: [email protected]
SEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To get involved, join the SEMI International Standards Program at: www.semi.org/standardsmembership.
The next North America Liquid Chemicals Technical Committee Chapter Meeting is scheduled for March 31, 2020 in conjunction with the SEMI Standards Spring 2020 Meetings at SEMI Headquarters in Milpitas, California.
Standards Watch
SEMI
www.semi.org
December 5, 2019