A review of the key objectives of the voltage sag task force will be discussed along with the characteristics of the power quality events that are still causing semiconductor plant process downtime. A new look at the sensitivities in the tooling and process equipment is required to determine any potential adjustments to equipment design, facility design, utility systems or standards to further reduce voltage sag induced losses by the semiconductor industry. This important work will help utilities, semiconductor manufacturers, and tool equipment providers to better understand the tolerance and susceptibility of today’s generation of semiconductor processing tools and then to develop effective strategies to improve uptime and lower product losses due not only to single-phase (Type I) and two-phase (Type II) voltage sag events but for three-phase (Type III) events as well.

A review of voltage sags at a National Grid substation which were produced by two lightning-caused three-phase transmission faults at locations fairly remote to the substation.  This will show the regional effect of transmission level faults on voltage.  The voltage sags will be compared to the existing SEMI-F47 standard and the accepted sag definition.  Additionally, a proposed regional voltage sag study will be considered in light of the changing make-up of the future electric system and the influx of large inverter-based resources.

Co- presenters:
Greg Rieder, GlobalFoundries
Josh Burroughs, VELCO
John Fiske, VELCO

VELCO recently conducted a refurbishment of its STATCOM facility as part of a planned controls system upgrade. The system planning need for this facility is to provide area voltage support during transmission system contingencies. The refurbishment project team recognized the benefits of the STATCOM’s ability to provide voltage support during system faults and specified fault performance requirements in the vendor specifications. This presentation will discuss those performance requirements, review pre and post project upgrade system fault record’s and review project lessons learned. The second half of the presentation will cover utility fault mitigation design strategies for substation and transmission line assets as well as protective relaying techniques to improve power quality

In this presentation we will discuss the importance of having power quality-based metering on both sides of the point of connection and other parts of the distribution system.  Mike will share some examples and stories of how important that can be.

This presentation will summarize efforts to categorize events automatically that exceed SEMI F47 limits, and to determine the source of those disturbances. It will also present recent efforts to analyze the impact of voltage sags automatically on electrical loads. This research has resulted in automatic algorithms to determine which voltage sags caused downtime and which ones did not. Combining all of this information together provides a means to more precisely and effectively diagnose, manage, and mitigate voltage sag disturbances.

Power Quality (PQ) has a long and diverse history dating back to the first power grids in the United States. Impacts and concerns about PQ events have evolved and will continue to evolve as our usage of electricity changes. Recent natural disasters have highlighted the importance of a robust power grid and the changing landscape of power generation presents new PQ challenges. As power consumers, a key element in any PQ strategy is adequate power monitoring. This provides the data that can drive conversation with the utility, discover opportunities in our infrastructure and deliver to our facilities the power quality necessary to sustain our businesses.

This presentation will address power quality perspectives and consideration from the point of a lithographic tools manufacture. Effect of different test methods on the sag immunity, test strategy on systems, sub-systems and components. How to divide a large installation up in to testable units and maintaining performance integrity. 3 phase type III test generator topology and the impact on harmonic emission and immunity in relation to voltage sag immunity.

Disturbances in utility power during semiconductor manufacturing can result in loss of revenue, productivity, production yields, and product quality. Focus on power quality continues to grow as new fabs are built in developing regions, which historically suffer from poor infrastructure. Highly automated fabs have driven a demand for systems that can ride through power glitches without shutting down tools and production lines. This presentation examines how power quality, most typically resulting in voltage sag events, affects semiconductor manufacturing and how industry standards and guidelines for tool immunity to those events affect the design of power supplies.

Based on the initial findings from utility and fab power quality data, the task force is poised to move forward to re-evaluate semiconductor tools against voltage sag additional characteristics that are indicative of measured events still causing downtime. Utilities, semiconductor fabs and equipment OEMs will be invited to actively participate in this effort to obtain the required test data.

James Amano, SEMI