Category Archives: Resource Guide

In the last few years, biggies in the Vacuum Pump Market have set different business goals to attain a dominant market position. Their approach toward improving their current stance has been remarkably influencing the quality and design performance of vacuum pumps, which has positively impacted the shelf life and cost-effectiveness of the products. The optimized approach of players toward new product developments and business expansions is certainly poised to push vacuum pump market size. Some of the recent instances witnessed across vacuum pump market that are likely to etch a positive growth path for this industry are described below.

How Leybold, Atlas Copco, and Edwards combinedly contributed toward vacuum pump market expansion

Of late, it has been observed that reliability and cleanliness are becoming highly important in most of the production processes. Having recognized that efficient vacuum technology development could fulfill these industrial requirements, a few days before, Leybold, a subsidiary of the Atlas Copco Group, unveiled an oil-free vacuum pump with two variants of speed, which are designed to be useful in dusty and moist processes. Through in-depth R&D, the product manufacturers have successfully reduced the operating noise and maintenance cost associated with the Oil-Free VARODRY Vacuum Pump. In addition, the compact design helps users to integrate this product into existing systems very easily.

Speaking more about this product launch, the speed variants have made it ideal for industrial vacuum requirement with low investment and operating costs. This innovative product prevents oil leaks and particle emissions in a vacuum chamber, which will turn out to be a tremendous help to speed up industrial processes. It is thus rather overt, that with the launch of this maintenance-free and robust pump, Leybold has set a new benchmark ahead for the giants in vacuum pump market.

Prior to this launch, the parent company of Leybold, Atlas Copco unveiled its new product – a multiple dry claw vacuum pump system which is ideally suited for the industries operating in dry and hot working environments. This newly developed vacuum pump aims to provide high energy efficiency and better operational performance. The future deployment of this product for performing numerous dry pumping applications comprising pneumatic pumping, packaging lines, and drying processes is certain to fuel vacuum pump market trends over the years ahead.

With the development of a next-generation oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump, the UK headquartered vacuum engineering company, Edwards had aimed to expand its customer base. This subsidiary of Atlas Copco designed a safe, stable, and compact size vacuum pump which could be suitable for applications in explosive environments especially in chemical processing industries. While developing this variant of vacuum pump, the designers of Edwards focused on customary requirements mainly across the U.S. and European belts. Post the launch, analysts deem that this approach could help Edwards considerably extend its customer base across North America and Europe. In addition, the deployment of these new products across the chemical, automotive, degassing, and pharmaceutical sectors has helped giants in vacuum pump market to extend their application scope across most of the industries.

It is rather overt that with the launch of a novel pumping system portfolio, core companies are looking forward to achieving competitive benefits ahead. The increasing need of highly efficient and environment-friendly pumping systems is considerably encouraging giants in vacuum pump market to carry out intensive research programs as well. The recent R&D outcomes such as improved lifecycle and cost-effectiveness will prove to be game-changing for the biggies in vacuum pump market, which is predicted to generate a revenue of over USD 6.5 billion by the end of 2025.

  • Key Industry participants for Vacuum Pump Market are –
  • Atlas Copco
  • Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG
  • Gardner Denver
  • Agilent Technologies Inc.
  • ULVAC Inc.
  • Ebara Corporation
  • Leybold GmbH
  • Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems
  • Shimadzu Corporation
  • Kashiyama Industries Ltd.
  • KNF Neuberger GmbH
  • Gast Manufacturing Inc.
  • Becker GmbH
  • DEKKER Vacuum Technologies, Inc.
  • PPI Pumps Pvt. Ltd.

Powered by a widespread application scope and ongoing technological advancements, vacuum pump market trends have undergone a tremendous transformation since the last few years. The extensive involvement of industry players in research and development activities has been paving the way for remarkable breakthroughs in futuristic vacuum technology requirements. Having recognized the significance of frequent product launchesvacuum pump market contenders have been focusing lately on the development of customized solutions to strengthen their customer base.

Speaking of advancements in vacuum technology, the end-users across myriad sectors ranging from solar manufacturing to scientific instrumentation and flat panel display to semiconductors have been going the whole hog to tap the benefits of modern vacuum mechanisms. The subsequent deployment of modern vacuum pumps for pumping services across numerous industrial applications is thus poised to boost vacuum pump market share.

Browse key industry insights report, “Vacuum Pump Market Size By Lubrication (Dry, Wet), By Technology (Gas Capture/Binding Pumps, Gas Transfer Pumps [Positive Displacement Pumps, Kinetic Pumps]), By Product (Low Vacuum, Medium Vacuum, High Vacuum), By End-user (Chemical & Pharmaceutical, Semiconductor & Electronics, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverages, Wood, Paper & Pulp), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait), Application Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 – 2025

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/vacuum-pump-market

3D-Micromac AG (booth #1645 in the South Hall) this week introduced the microPREP 2.0 laser ablation system for high-volume sample preparation of metals, semiconductors, ceramics and compound materials for microstructure diagnostics and failure analysis (FA).

Built on a highly flexible platform with a small table-top footprint, the microPREP 2.0 allows for easy integration into FA workflows. Developed jointly with Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS), the microPREP 2.0 complements existing approaches to sample preparation such as focused ion beam (FIB) micromachining, offering up to 10,000 times higher ablation rates and therefore an order of magnitude lower cost of ownership (CoO) compared to FIB. As the first stand-alone, ultrashort pulsed laser-based tool for sample preparation, the microPREP 2.0 brings additional unique capabilities, such as enabling large-area and 3D-shape sampling to allow for more comprehensive testing of complex structures.

Cutting and preparing samples from semiconductor wafers, dies and packages for microstructure diagnostics and FA is an essential but time-consuming and costly step. The primary method of sample preparation used in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing today is FIB micromachining, which can take several hours to prepare a typical sample. FIB only allows for very small sample sizes, and precious FIB time is wasted by “digging” excavations needed for cross-sectional imaging in a scanning electron microscope or making a TEM lamella. Reaching larger depths or widths is severely restricted by the limited ablation rate.

3D-Micromac’s microPREP 2.0 significantly accelerates these critical steps, bringing sample preparation for semiconductor and materials research to a new level. By off-loading the vast majority of sample prep work from the FIB tool and relegating FIB to final polishing or replacing it completely depending on application, microPREP 2.0 reduces time to final sample to less than one hour in many cases.

“This award-winning tool brings unprecedented flexibility into sample prep. We at Fraunhofer IMWS are facing the need for targeted, artifact-free and most reliable preparation workflows to be able to serve our industry customers with cutting-edge microstructure diagnostics. Made for diverse techniques like SEM inspection of advanced-packaging devices, X-ray microscopy, atom probe tomography, and micro mechanics, microPREP was developed jointly with 3D-Micromac to close gaps in preparation workflows,” said Thomas Höche, Fraunhofer IMWS.

The microPREP 2.0 laser ablation system.

By Pete Singer

The importance of data gathered and analysed in the subfab – the place where vacuum pumps, abatements systems and other supporting equipment operates – is growing. Increasingly, manufacturers are finding that these systems have a direct impact on yield, safety, cost-of-ownership and ultimately capacity and cycle time.

“The subfab is getting recognized evermore as a contributor to the overall fab effectiveness, particularly when the fab is looking to get last fractions of a percentage of performance efficiencies,” notes Alan Ifould, Global Market Sector Manager at Edwards.

There’s also keen interest in tying this data with process data from the fab, the MES (manufacturing execution software) system and ultimately the ERP (enterprise resource planning) system as part of today’s efforts to understand and control the entire data ecosystem.

Subfab data systems provide a volume of data related not only to vacuum and abatement equipment, but also upstream, to the foreline, gate valve and chamber. Of special interest is the monitoring of vacuum faults, which can negatively impact quality, cost and safety. “A vacuum fault is anything that results in a loss of a degradation in vacuum,” said Ifould.

Ideally, faults – and the overall quality of the vacuum system — are proactively managed. Potential faults are detected days or even weeks before they occur and addressed during regularly scheduled tool maintenance, for example. “We’re finding that our ability to detect vacuum faults in the wider vacuum system comes very much to the fore,” Ifould said.

Data seen at the pump or abatement can help determine the size and location of vacuum system leaks. Algorithms based around vacuum science and thermodynamics can lead engineers to problematic leaks that, over time, can have a significant impact on yield.

Often, the first reaction to a loss in chamber pressure is to blame the vaccum pump, Ifould said. Vacuum pumps can be swapped out in about 4 hours, but if the process tool goes down while in operation, it could be in excess of 48 hours to get everything back up and running. Even then, it might be something other than the pump that caused the initial problem, such as a leak in a gate valve or in the foreline. It’s essential to accurately diagnose the problem(s) at the onset, but that can be a challenge: “You only need a small leak in a gate valve, and you immediately have problems with maintaining the base pressure in the chamber. The pump may become overloaded because of the additional gas load caused by leaks,” he said.

Edwards has developed a verity of new data collection and analysis strategies aimed at improving such decision making. The SMA (Site Management Application) is latest addition to data analytics portfolio, focused on subfab. As shown in Figure, SMA is designed to provide insight into maintenance activities, equipment performance and fault resolution. It is implemented in parallel with the company’s VTPS (Vacuum Technique Production System), which drives standard work and behaviors based on LEAN principles and best known methods.

Edwards is also working on what it calls “sensorization” where, for example, the use of vibration analytics can detect anomalies otherwise missed by traditional monitoring techniques.

Ifould said the SMA and sensorization helps improve the stability of fab operations by bringing veracity to the data. “It’s one thing to have a volume of data, but the data itself is of little value unless it’s of good quality,” he said. “When we’re looking at equipment operations and the way you have operators involved, being able to bring discipline to the behaviors of those operators to the task that they perform brings discipline to the data and improves the veracity of the data,” he said.

He said Edwards has been using this approach to “great effect” over the last year. “We can help our customers see where some of their maintenance practices need to be improved to eliminate some of the sources of error that cause some of those vacuum faults,” he said.

More recently, Edwards is looking to move beyond a simple predictive maintenance model (PdM) to a model that include quality (PdMQ). The model includesnot only the condition of the subfab equipment, but of the quality of the vacuum it provides, and therefore the process it supports. “We’re not just considering the condition of the subfab equipment and being able to predict when that may fail, but considering the quality of the vacuum that system actually provides.”

Harnessing data from all parts of the fab ecosystem is essential, Ifould notes, but has its challenges, especially when it comes to IP. “In an ideal world, we would like to receive contextualized data which allows us to relate what’s happening in the vacuum pump into the process itself. That becomes challenging because of the IP sensitivity,” he said.

Site Management Application, the latest addition to Edwards’ data analytics portfolio, is designed to provide insight into maintenance activities, equipment performance and fault resolution.

3D-Micromac AG, a developer of laser micromachining and roll-to-roll laser systems for the semiconductor, photovoltaic, medical device and electronics markets, today unveiled the microPRO™ RTP–its new laser annealing system designed to enable several key process steps in semiconductor, power device and MEMS manufacturing. Combining a state-of-the-art laser optic module with 3D-Micromac’s modular semiconductor wafer processing platform, the microPRO RTP provides selective annealing with high repeatability and throughput in a versatile system.

The microPRO RTP features a line scan option for vertical selective annealing and a step-and-repeat spot option for horizontal selective annealing, as well as three optional laser wavelengths (near infrared, green and ultraviolet). The microPRO RTP addresses a variety of applications, including:

  • Dopant activation for insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), as well as activation of backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensors and amorphous silicon (a-Si) — the microPRO RTP uses a high-speed line scan with excellent energy homogeneity and repeatability to provide precise localization of the field stop layer, which minimizes heat transference to the front-side of the wafer
  • Ohmic contact formation in silicon carbide (SiC) power devices to improve resistance — using spot scanning with short laser pulses, microPRO RTP can process the entire metalized backside of SiC wafers, forming ohmic interfaces and curing grinding defects, while preventing the generation of large carbon clusters and heat-related damage to the front-side of the wafer
  • Giant magneto resistive (GMR) and tunneling magneto resistive (TMR) sensor manufacturing — using a selective step-and-repeat spot and variable laser energy, microPRO RTP can selectively heat functional areas on the sensor to form and orient the magnetic fields for these MEMS sensor types

“As microelectronics adopt 3D/stacked architectures to achieve more functionality, manufacturers need annealing solutions that can process the surface layers of their devices without affecting buried structures underneath. The migration to new materials and heterogeneous integration adds even more complexity to the annealing process, driving the need for selective exposure of functional areas, which only selective laser annealing can provide. Leveraging our years of experience in providing laser solutions to the semiconductor and microelectronics market, 3D-Micromac is pleased to offer our new microPRO RTP laser annealing solution, which provides the selectivity, flexibility and throughput our customers need to meet their unique annealing requirements,” stated Hans-Ulrich Zühlke, product manager at 3D-Micromac.

The microPRO RTP provides numerous advantages compared to existing annealing methods, including:
  • High precision and repeatability in both X and Y directions
  • High selectivity to different substrates and films, with multiple options for laser pulse length, energy and overlap to ensure no damage to the area surrounding the target site
  • Very high energy homogeneity
  • Precise process monitoring
  • Flexibility to handle substrate diameters ranging from 50mm up to 300mm

Media, analysts and potential customers interested in learning more about 3D-Micromac’s laser micromachining solutions, including the microPRO RTP, are invited to visit the company at SEMICON West 2018, July 10-12 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Calif., in South Hall, booth #1645. More information on microPRO RTP is also available on https://3d-micromac.com/laser-micromachining/products/micropro/.

Kinetic Solutions, Inc., a full-service process and mechanical contractor for high-technology markets worldwide, announced today the acquisition of Mega Fluid Systems, a global supplier of chemical and slurry delivery equipment to the global semiconductor, LED, pharmaceutical, specialty chemicals and solar/PV industries. According to the details of the agreement, Mega Fluid Systems will operate as a Kinetics company, but will maintain its brand and product line. The acquisition marks another strategic decision in the latest string of investments to strengthen the Kinetics global footprint and position it as a leader in critical process facilities systems services, advanced process equipment and facility management solutions.

Kinetics, now in its 45th year, and Mega share a long legacy, as Mega was originally spun out of Kinetics in 2004. The reacquisition brings the story full circle, and allows Kinetics to offer a comprehensive range of equipment solutions that cover the scope of service and provide global turnkey solutions from feasibility studies through design, construction, construction management, commissioning and closeout.

“We are excited to welcome Mega Fluid Systems home to the Kinetics family,” said Peter Maris, president and CEO of Kinetics. “Adding the Mega portfolio of chemical and slurry delivery systems not only extends our process tool offering, it broadens our global reach and allows us to better serve our customers from R&D to volume manufacturing. Together, with the addition of Wafab and Mega, we are now operating from 20 offices with 1,800 employees worldwide.”

The Mega Fluid Systems product line includes leading-edge chemical, slurry and slurry-blend delivery systems, as well the supporting slurry filtration, metrology and world-class control and SCADA systems.

“As an independent brand for over 20 years, Mega established itself as a trusted supplier of high-performance blend and delivery systems, and built our reputation on innovation and ingenuity,” said Delton Hyatt, president, Mega Fluid Systems. “We are proud to bring that reputation home and be reunited with Kinetics. Together, we are a powerhouse of innovative process and mechanical solutions.”

“The Mega product line is a welcome addition to our existing portfolio of legacy process media distribution systems,” said Steve McGuigan, executive VP and general manager of Kinetics Equipment Solutions Group. “Combined with our chemical process systems and other offerings of facility management and high-purity installation capabilities, this strengthens Kinetics’ ability to serve our customers’ needs globally.”

As the world of advanced manufacturing enters the sub-nanometer scale era, it is clear that ALD, MLD and SAM represent viable options for delivering the required few-atoms-thick layers required with uniformity, conformality, and purity.

BY BARRY ARKLES, JONATHAN GOFF, Gelest Inc., Morrisville PA; ALAIN E. KALOYEROS, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY

Device and system technologies across several industries are on the verge of entering the sub-nanometer scale regime. This regime requires processing techniques that enable exceptional atomic level control of the thickness, uniformity, and morphology of the exceedingly thin (as thin as a few atomic layers) film structures required to form such devices and systems.[1]

In this context, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has emerged as one of the most viable contenders to deliver these requirements. This is evidenced by the flurry of research and devel- opment activities that explore the applicability of ALD to a variety of material systems,[2,3] as well as the limited introduction of ALD TaN in full-scale manufacturing of nanoscale integrated circuitry (IC) structures.[4] Both the success and inherent limitations of ALD associated with repeated dual-atom interactions have stimulated great interest in additional self-limiting deposition processes, particularly Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) and Self- Assembled Monolayers (SAM). MLD and SAM are being explored both as replacements and extensions of ALD as well as surface modification techniques prior to ALD.[5]

ALD is a thin film growth technique in which a substrate is exposed to alternate pulses of source precursors, with intermediate purge steps typically consisting of an inert gas to evacuate any remaining precursor after reaction with the substrate surface. ALD differs from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in that the evacuation steps ensure that the different precursors are never present in the reaction zone at the same time. Instead, the precursor doses are applied as successive, non-overlapping gaseous injections. Each does is followed by an inert gas purge that serves to remove both byproducts and unreacted precursor from the reaction zone.

The fundamental premise of ALD is based on self-limiting surface reactions, wherein each individual precursor-substrate interaction is instantaneously terminated once all surface reactive sites have been depleted through exposure to the precursor. For the growth of binary materials, each ALD cycle consists of two precursor and two purge pulses, with the thickness of the resulting binary layer per cycle (typically about a monolayer) being determined by the precursor-surface reaction mode. The low growth rates associated with each ALD cycle enable precise control of ultimate film thickness via the application of repeated ALD cycles. Concurrently, the self-limiting ALD reaction mechanisms allow excellent conformality in ultra-high-aspect-ratio nanoscale structures and geometries.[6]

A depiction of an individual ALD cycle is shown in FIGURE 1. In Fig. 1(a), a first precursor A is introduced in the reaction zone above the substrate surface.

Screen Shot 2018-03-01 at 3.03.03 PM

Precursor A then adsorbs intact or reacts (partially) with the substrate surface to form a first monolayer, as shown in Fig. 1(b), with any excess precursor and potential byproducts being evacuated from the reaction zone through a subsequent purge step. In Fig. 1(d), a second precursor Y is injected into the reaction zone and is made to react with the first monolayer to form a binary atomic layer on the substrate surface, as displayed in Fig. 1(e). Again, all excess precursors and reaction byproducts are flushed out with a second purge step 1(f). The entire process is performed repeatedly to achieve the targeted binary film thickness.

In some applications, a direct or remote plasma is used as an intermediate treatment step between the two precursor-surface interactions. This treatment has been reported to increase the probability of surface adsorption by boosting the number of active surface sites and lowering the reaction activation energy. As a result, such treatment has led to increased growth rates and reduce processing temperatures.[7]

A number of benefits have been cited for the use of ALD, including high purity films, absence of particle contami- nation and pin-holes, precise control of thickness at the atomic level, excellent thickness uniformity and step coverage in complex via and trench topographies, and the ability to grow an extensive array of binary material systems. However, issues with surface roughness and large surface grain morphology have also been reported. Another limitation of ALD is the fact that it is primarily restricted to single or binary material systems. Finally, extremely slow growth rates continue to be a challenge, which could potentially restrict ALD’s applicability to exceptionally ultrathin films and coatings.

These concerns have spurred a renewed interest in other molecular level processing technologies that share the self-limiting surface reaction characteristics of ALD. Chief among them are MLD and SAM. MLD refers principally to ALD-like processes that also involve successive precursor-surface reactions in which the various precursors never cross paths in the reaction zone. [8] However, while ALD is employed to grow inorganic material systems, MLD is mainly used to deposit organic molecular films. It should be noted that this definition of MLD, although the most common, is not yet universally accepted. An alternative characterization refers to MLD as a process for the growth of organic molecular components that may contain inorganic fragments, yet it does not exhibit the self-limiting growth features of ALD or its uniformity of film thickness and step coverage.[2]

A depiction illustrating a typical MLD cycle, according to the most common definition, is shown in FIGURE 2. In Fig. 2(a), a precursor is introduced in the reaction zone above the substrate surface. Precursor C adsorbs to the substrate surface and is confined by physisorption (Fig. 2(b)). The precursor then undergoes a quick chemisorption reaction with a significant number of active surface sites, leading to the self-limiting formation of molecular attachments in specific assemblies or regularly recurring structures, as displayed in Fig. 2(c). These structures form at significantly lower process temperatures compared to traditional deposition techniques.

Screen Shot 2018-03-01 at 3.03.09 PM

To date, MLD has been successfully applied to grow exceptionally thin films for applications as organic, inorganic, and hybrid organic-inorganic dielectrics and polymers for IC applications; [1,9] nanoprobes for in-vitro imaging and interrogation of biological cells; [10] photoluminescent devices; [7] and lithium-ion battery electrodes.[11]

SAM is a deposition technique that involves the spontaneous adherence of organized organic structures on a substrate surface. Such adherence takes place through adsorption from the vapor or liquid phase through relatively weak interactions with the substrate surface. Initially, the structures are adsorbed on the surface by physisorption through, for instance, van der Waals forces or polar interactions. Subsequently, the self-assembled monolayers become slowly confined by a chemisorption process, as depicted in FIGURE 3.

Screen Shot 2018-03-01 at 3.03.18 PM

The ability of SAM to grow layers as thin as a single molecule through chemisorption-driven interactions with the substrate has triggered enthusiasm for its potential use in the formation of “near-zero-thickness” activation or barrier layers. It has also sparked interest in its appli- cability to area-selective or area-specific deposition. Molecules can be directed to exhibit preferential reactions with specific segments of the underlying substrate rather than others to facilitate or obstruct subsequent material growth. This feature makes SAM desirable for incorpo- ration in area-selective ALD (AS-ALD) or CVD (AS-CVD), where the SAM-formed layer would serve as a foundation or blueprint to drive AS-ALD or AS-CVD. [12,13]

To date, SAM has been effectively employed to form organic layers as thin as a single molecule for applications as organic, inorganic, and hybrid organic-inorganic dielec- trics; polymers for IC applications; [13,14] encapsulation and barrier layers for IC metallization; [15] photoluminescent devices; [5] molecular and organic electronics; [16] and liquid crystal displays.[17]

As the world of advanced manufacturing enters the sub-nanometer scale era, it is clear that ALD, MLD and SAM represent viable options for delivering the required few-atoms-thick layers required with uniformity, conformality, and purity. By delivering the constituents of the material systems individually and sequentially into the processing environment, and precisely controlling the resulting chemical reactions with the substrate surface, these techniques enable excellent command of processing parameters and superb management of the target specifications of the resulting films. In order to determine whether one or more ultimately make it into full-scale manufacturing, a great deal of additional R&D is required in the areas of understanding and establishing libraries of fundamental interactions, mechanisms of source chemistries with various substrate surfaces, engineering viable solutions for surface smoothness and rough morphology, and developing protocols to enhance growth rates and overall throughput.

References

1. Belyansky, M.; Conti, R.; Khan, S.; Zhou, X.; Klymko, N.; Yao, Y.; Madan, A.; Tai, L.; Flaitz, P.; Ando, T. Silicon Compat. Mater. Process. Technol. Adv. Integr. Circuits Emerg. Appl. 4 2014, 61 (3), 39–45.
2. George, S. M.; Yoon, B. Mater. Matters 2008, 3 (2), 34–37. 3. George, S. M.; Yoon, B.; Dameron, A. A. Acc. Chem. Res.
2009, 42 (4), 498–508.
4. Graef, E.; Huizing, B. International Technology Roadmap for
Semiconductors 2.0, 2015th ed.; 2015.
5. Kim, D.; Zuidema, J. M.; Kang, J.; Pan, Y.; Wu, L.; Warther, D.; Arkles, B.; Sailor, M. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138 (46),
15106–15109.
6. George, S. M. Chem. Rev. 2010, 110 (1), 111–131.
7. Provine, J.; Schindler, P.; Kim, Y.; Walch, S. P.; Kim, H. J.; Kim,
K. H.; Prinz, F. B. AIP Adv. 2016, 6 (6).
8. Räupke, A.; Albrecht, F.; Maibach, J.; Behrendt, A.; Polywka,
A.; Heiderhoff, R.; Helzel, J.; Rabe, T.; Johannes, H.-H.; Kowalsky, W.; Mankel, E.; Mayer, T.; Görrn, P.; Riedl, T. 226th Meet. Electrochem. Soc. (2014 ECS SMEQ) 2014, 64 (9), 97–105.
9. Fichtner, J.; Wu, Y.; Hitzenberger, J.; Drewello, T.; Bachmann, J. ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 2017, 6 (9), N171–N175.
10. Culic-Viskota, J.; Dempsey, W. P.; Fraser, S. E.; Pantazis, P. Nat. Protoc. 2012, 7 (9), 1618–1633.
11. Loebl, A. J.; Oldham, C. J.; Devine, C. K.; Gong, B.; Atanasov, S. E.; Parsons, G. N.; Fedkiw, P. S. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2013, 160 (11), A1971–A1978.
12. Sundaram, G. M.; Lecordier, L.; Bhatia, R. ECS Trans. 2013, 58 (10), 27–37.
13. Kaufman-Osborn, T.; Wong, K. T. Self-assembled monolayer blocking with intermittent air-water exposure. US20170256402 A1, 2017.
14. Arkles, B.; Pan, Y.; Kaloyeros, A. ECS Trans. 2014, 64 (9), 243–249.
15. Tan, C. S.; Lim, D. F. In ECS Transactions; 2012; Vol. 50, pp 115–123.
16. Kong, G. D.; Yoon, H. J. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2016, 163 (9), G115–G121.
17. Wu, K. Y.; Chen, W. Y.; Wang, C.-H.; Hwang, J.; Lee, C.-Y.; Liu, Y.-L.; Huang, H. Y.; Wei, H. K.; Kou, C. S. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2008, 155 (9), J244.

US demand for semiconductor machinery is forecast to reach $7.4 billion in 2021, according to Semiconductor Machinery: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Growth in demand for wafer processing equipment will account for the majority of value increases. Ongoing expansion in global production of mobile electronics will support demand for smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient logic integrated circuits, as well as the increasingly advanced wafer processing machinery required for production. Specifically, rising adoption of lithography equipment that utilizes extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology will spur gains.

Semiconductor assembly machinery demand is forecast to grow the fastest among the product segments. Intensifying production of increasingly compact electronic systems for use in mobile devices will drive demand for more sophisticated semiconductor assembly equipment. For example, semiconductor device manufacturers such as integrated device manufacturers, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers, and foundries will require systems capable of mounting ever-smaller semiconductors.

These and other key insights are featured in Semiconductor Machinery: United States. This report forecasts to 2021 US semiconductor machinery demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level. Total demand is segmented by product in terms of:

  • wafer processing
  • testing
  • assembly

To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total shipments, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2006 to 2016.

More information about the report is available at https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Semiconductor-Machinery-United-States-FF75028/

Brooks Instrument will showcase its newly enhanced GF125 mass flow controller (MFC) with high-speed EtherCAT connectivity and embedded self-diagnostics at the China Semiconductor Technology International Conference (CSTIC) in conjunction with SEMICON China 2018 in Shanghai.

CSTIC runs March 11-12 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, while SEMICON China takes place March 14-16 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

Building on the company’s proven GF Series of MFCs with EtherCAT connectivity for high-speed communications, the newly enhanced GF125 MFC features embedded self-diagnostics that automatically detect sensor drift and valve leak-by to help minimize tool downtime and improve process yield. As a result, the enhanced GF125 can run leak and drift self-diagnostics without interrupting process flow steps or requiring any hardware changes, thereby improving process gas accuracy and wafer production throughput.

Technology experts from Brooks Instrument will discuss the newly enhanced GF125 MFC capabilities with a presentation on “Advanced Mass Flow Controllers With EtherCAT Communication Protocol and Embedded Self-Diagnostics” during the CSTIC poster session.

For SEMICON China, Brooks Instrument will be co-exhibiting in booth 3675 with its regional business partner, SCH Electronics Co., Ltd., to demonstrate the newly enhanced GF125 MFC with high-speed EtherCAT connectivity and embedded self-diagnostics, along with a broad range of other mass flow meters and controllers and pressure and vacuum products for semiconductor manufacturing.

“At Brooks Instrument, we’re eager to present and exhibit at the China Semiconductor Technology International Conference and SEMICON China tradeshow,” said Mohamed Saleem, Chief Technology Officer at Brooks Instrument. “With more than 70 years of history in new technology developments, our company is focused on improving the precision and performance of mass flow, pressure and vacuum technologies to help enable advanced semiconductor manufacturing and address the challenges involved with next-generation production tools and processes.”

In addition to the newly enhanced GF125 MFC with high-speed EtherCAT connectivity and embedded self-diagnostics, Brooks Instrument will showcase other key components designed to meet critical gas chemistry control challenges and improve process yields for nodes 10nm and below, including the VDM300 vapor delivery module as well as other proven MFCs with EtherCAT.

INFICON,a manufacturer of leak test equipment, introduced the UL3000 Fab leak detector for semiconductor manufacturing maintenance teams to easily check the tightness of vacuum chambers for wafer production. Special advantages of the new leak detector are its fast readiness and unrivaled simplicity enabling the operator to find leaks of all sizes with the same procedures. It also has a slim mobile design for easy maneuverability and an intuitive operating concept for easy operation. The UL3000 Fab, which uses helium as a test gas, detects even the smallest leakage rates up to 5 x 10-12 atm cc/, thus providing the highest seal confirmation tightness of vacuum chambers for wafer production.

Daniel Hoffman, Sales and Service Manager for Leak Detection in the Americas, sees the new model as a big step forward. “Constantly innovating and optimizing our products to meet customer needs is a core goal for INFICON. With our new UL3000 Fab we will enable leak detection productivity gains never before seen in the semiconductor leak testing process,” said Hoffman.

The powerful, compact and smart leak detector enables testing at atmospheric pressure (through MASSIVE leak function) with best in class time to test or background generation, saturation protection, smart power and PM saving control all in a compact package. With its narrow design (only 18.6 inches wide), the mobile leak detector is designed for high maneuverability. Also, UL3000 Fab features robust construction, a deep center of gravity and large tires to ensure optimum mobility.

UL3000Fab_sil_right_MEDIUM

Boston Semi Equipment (BSE), a global semiconductor test handler manufacturer and provider of test automation technical services, today announced that it has started shipping units of its new strip load/unload module to a top 10 semiconductor manufacturer. The automation modules handle magazines containing strips holding semiconductor devices. The freestanding modules dock to strip-processing equipment via a SMEMA-compliant interface. Operators set up and control the modules using a color touch-screen monitor.

“BSE’s custom engineering group works with semiconductor companies to provide them the exact automation solutions they require,” said Kevin Brennan, vice president of marketing for BSE. “Our multidisciplined team started with our customer’s specification for the strip automation module, and handled the project from concept through to manufacturing of final units. With our global service organization, we can support these modules anywhere in the world.”

BSE’s custom engineering group helps companies accelerate their internal product development activities. Working with BSE, companies can implement cost savings and productivity improvement solutions sooner, helping to grow their market share and improve profits.