The Role of Semiconductor Compressed Air

In semiconductor manufacturing, compressed air as a key power source and process medium, through the wafer preparation, precision cleaning, lithography, etching, film deposition, ion implantation, packaging testing and other core links, its role can be summarized as follows:

1. environmental control and process support

1. temperature and humidity regulation
   in the wafer preparation stage, compressed air provides stable environmental conditions for high-purity wafer production by adjusting the air temperature and humidity. Semiconductor chips are extremely sensitive to environmental parameters, and small fluctuations can cause wafer surface defects and affect yield.

2. Maintenance of cleanliness
   compressed air needs to go through multi-stage filtration and drying treatment (such as refrigeration or regenerative dryer) to remove moisture, oil and particles, and reach the "0 oil-free" standard. This clean dry air (CDA) is used to drive pneumatic valves and pneumatic equipment to avoid impurities contaminating sensitive components and ensure process stability.

2. precision cleaning and surface treatment

1. wafer cleaning
   in the precision cleaning process, compressed air purges the wafer surface with high-speed air flow to remove tiny dust, residue and moisture. For example, before the photoresist is coated, compressed air is used to ensure that the surface is dry to prevent bubbles; the residue after etching also needs to be cleaned by compressed air to ensure the accuracy of the subsequent process.

2. Anti-oxidation and static control
   in the wafer dicing (Dicing) process, compressed air and high purity nitrogen (N₂) cooperate to form an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation and static electricity accumulation in the cutting area, while cooling the cutting area to avoid thermal damage.

3. core process support

1. lithography process
   compressed air drives the precision pneumatic components of the lithography machine (such as the positioning device of the exposure system) to ensure uniform application of photoresist and exposure accuracy. High-precision flow control (error ≤ ± 0.5%) can adjust the gas flow in real time to avoid the degradation of lithography resolution due to flow fluctuations.

2. etching and deposition process

   • etching: Compressed air-assisted removal of etching residues to ensure the accuracy of the etching effect.
   • thin film deposition compressed air maintains stable pressure in the chamber to ensure the uniformity and thickness of the deposition layer. For example, through the mass flow controller and compressed air, accurately adjust the process gas mixing ratio, improve the quality of the film.

3. ion implantation
   compressed air is used to transport and dilute the process gas to ensure the stability of the ion implantation process and avoid uneven doping due to gas concentration fluctuations.

4. Package Test and Device Driver

1. chip package
   in the packaging process, compressed air provides high-pressure gas to ensure that the packaging materials (such as silver glue, solder) are cured in an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation and improve bonding strength and thermal stability. At the same time, compressed air drives the pneumatic clamp of the packaging equipment to achieve precise positioning.

2. Test link
   compressed air is used to drive the automated robotic arm of the test equipment to complete chip grabbing, handling and testing operations to improve test efficiency.

5. power source and system support

1. pneumatic equipment drive
   compressed air is used as a power source to drive pneumatic valves, pneumatic pumps, mechanical arms and other equipment in semiconductor factories to realize automated production. For example, in a wafer transfer system, compressed air pushes a vacuum chuck to adsorb the wafer to complete fast and contactless transfer.

2. Vacuum system assistance
   in vacuum processes (such as vacuum coating), compressed air generates a low-pressure environment through devices such as venturi tubes to assist vacuum pump pumping and improve system pumping efficiency.

6. Energy Saving and Stability Optimization

1. pressure Fluctuation Management
   by configuring the air storage tank, variable frequency air compressor and intelligent control system, the compressed air system can stabilize the air supply pressure and reduce the impact of fluctuations on the process. For example, the centrifugal air compressor by adjusting the inlet guide vane and bypass valve, to avoid the surge phenomenon, to ensure continuous gas supply.

2. Leak Management
   regularly detect pipeline connections, valve seals and other links to reduce compressed air leakage and reduce energy consumption. According to statistics, leakage management can significantly improve system energy efficiency and reduce production costs.

Summary

compressed air plays the role of the "second power source" in semiconductor manufacturing, covering environmental control, precision cleaning, core process support, packaging testing, equipment drive and system optimization. As the semiconductor process moves towards advanced nodes such as 7nm and 5nm, the requirements for cleanliness, flow accuracy and stability of compressed air are becoming more stringent. In the future, with the continuous development of semiconductor technology, the compressed air system will further evolve in the direction of high precision, high reliability and intelligence, providing a solid guarantee for the high-quality development of the semiconductor industry.