The aggressive chemicals used in wet process wafer manufacturing have to be contained in process tanks that can resist etching and corrosion while remaining inert. Depending on the application, a process may require heating, filtration or the regular addition of chemicals. Quartz tanks from Modutek are made from semiconductor grade flame-polished quartz and are impervious to the acids and bases used in wafer processing. They minimize contamination of the wafers with particles and can be supplied in heated and re-circulating models. The high quality of the bath material along with advanced control strategies developed by Modutek help improve wafer manufacturing performance.
Cleaning Silicon Wafers Using Quartz Tanks
Wet bench processing of silicon wafers consists of fabrication steps such as etching and diffusion with cleaning required in between the steps. Wafers may be masked to etch specific parts of the wafer or to confine diffusion to certain target areas. After each process step is complete, the masking material has to be cleaned off.
Cleaning the wafers completely without contamination is critical because subsequent processing steps are affected if the wafer is not completely clean. With the microscopic architecture of semiconductor components becoming more tightly packed, even a single particle can result in a badly formed structure or conductor. When such malformations are incorporated into the final product, they can be the cause of defective or lower quality semiconductor components.
Specialized Process Controls Help Improve Wafer Manufacturing Results
Specialized quartz tanks from Modutek are based on over 30 years of experience and incorporate features to guarantee safe, reliable operation while delivering excellent wafer manufacturing results. Custom sizes, fast and even heating, reduced downtime and long vessel life help improve manufacturing facility performance and reduce costs. Quartz tank controls allow operators to program reproducible process environments and make sure temperatures and chemical concentrations are consistent. The three areas for which specialized control systems are useful are heating, chemical spiking and filtration.
Modutek high temperature re-circulating baths and constant temperature tanks heat up rapidly with a temperature rise of up to two degrees centigrade per minute. The operating temperature can range from 30 to 180 degrees centigrade and the temperature controller holds the temperature within plus or minus one degree centigrade. Quick heating helps improve throughput and accurate temperature control helps ensure high quality results.
For some chemical processes the concentration of chemicals can change during the process. Periodic spiking restores the chemical concentration to the desired level. Modutek has developed an innovative “bleed and feed” spiking method for the sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide (SPM) process.
The hydrogen peroxide of the SPM process decomposes and has to be replenished frequently. For traditional spiking, the mixture has an overall lifespan of only several hours. In Modutek’s clean tank/dirty tank using the “bleed and feed” spiking method, programmable amounts of mixture are drained from the dirty tank and transferred from the clean tank to the dirty tank. Programmable amounts of acid and peroxide are then added to the tanks. This method keeps the mixture fresh and increases the mixture’s lifespan to about one week.
In addition to controls for temperature and concentration, Modutek’s quartz tanks can reduce particle counts and wafer contamination. The quartz re-circulating tank can filter out particles down to 0.2 microns, improving output quality and reducing component failure rates.
Modutek’s quartz tanks are based on more than 30 years of experience and incorporate features to guarantee safe, reliable operation while delivering excellent wafer manufacturing results. Custom sizes, fast and even heating, reduced downtime and long vessel life help improve manufacturing facility performance and reduce costs.
Modutek continues to develop innovative techniques in the construction and use of quartz tanks for semiconductor manufacturing processing. The design of the quartz tanks and the associated advanced controls are a key factor in the production of semiconductor components of the highest quality. With extensive experience working with manufacturers in the development of advanced temperature, concentration and filtration controls, Modutek helps improve wafer manufacturing. Contact Modutek for a free consultation or quote on equipment designed to meet specialized manufacturing requirements.
Traditional silicon wafer cleaning uses aggressive chemicals to strip wafers and remove particles during semiconductor manufacturing. As semiconductor components such as processors, switches and memory chips become more tightly packed, removing all traces of contamination on the wafer surface becomes important for the production of high quality components and the reduction of component failure rates. Even sub micron particles can block the formation of a conducting path or a key structural component. Ensuring the removal of sub micron particles with traditional cleaning and rinsing has become challenging. 
For small operations and specialized applications requiring semiconductor fabrication capabilities it often doesn’t make sense to construct wet processing lines that produce products at volume. Table top process tanks can allow research labs, universities and start-up companies to produce single parts or low-volume output. These organizations may need proof of concept components or prototypes for testing. Small chemical process tanks deliver the capability to fabricate such products in a customized unit designed for the specialized applications.
Acid neutralization systems treat the effluent from semiconductor wet process fabrication facilities and other industrial processes to make it safe for release into the environment. The right system for an application will add alkaline chemicals to the acidic solution and raise the pH close to the neutral level of 7 while recording process data to ensure regulatory compliance.
Because semiconductor manufacturing relies on a large number of process steps and complicated sequencing, 
As the microscopic structures etched on silicon wafers become more complicated and densely packed, precise process control and the elimination of particle contamination become increasingly important. The accuracy of chemical dosages and the timing of steps have to be consistent and the handling of wafers must be reduced to a minimum. Fully automated 
Modutek provides a complete line of wet processing equipment to semiconductor manufacturing plants and research facilities. The company’s wet process stations support all common cleaning and etching applications. Modutek works with customers to continuously improve wet processing performance and reduce contamination and particle counts to a minimum. 
Silicon nitride etch removes silicon nitride from silicon wafers during the fabrication process of semiconductor components. A solution of phosphoric acid in water etches silicon nitride rapidly and consistently as long as the temperature of the solution and the concentration of phosphoric acid are kept constant. Maintaining consistent process conditions during the 
Manufacturing lines in semiconductor fabrication facilities and research labs use corrosive chemicals to clean and etch silicon wafers. Depending on the semiconductor product, a silicon wafer may undergo multiple steps in baths containing chemicals such as hydrochloric acid or hydrogen peroxide. When the cleaning or etching process in a particular fabrication step is complete, the chemicals must be rinsed from the wafer before the silicon wafer can be processed further.