How to ensure the pressure and purity of gas in chip manufacturing?

In chip manufacturing, ensuring the pressure and purity of the gas is the core link to ensure production stability and product yield, which needs to be achieved in coordination with equipment design, process control and monitoring system, as follows:

1. pressure control: precise regulation and stable supply

1. multistage pressure regulating system
   through the cooperation of electric pressure regulating valve and high-precision pressure sensor, real-time pressure adjustment is realized. For example, pressure regulating devices are deployed in layers at the main pipe network, regional distribution system and the entrance of key equipment to control pressure fluctuations within ± 0.5% (traditional industry standard is ± 5%) to ensure the pressure stability of precision equipment such as reaction chambers.

2. Dynamic buffering and intelligent control
   the gas storage tank is used as a dynamic buffer device. When the production equipment consumes a large amount of gas, the gas storage tank can instantly supplement the gas supply to avoid a sharp drop in pipe network pressure. At the same time, through the intelligent early warning system, the operating state of the equipment is automatically adjusted during non-production periods (such as allowing the air compressor to enter sleep mode), and the pressure is quickly stabilized when production is restored, taking into account energy saving and response speed.

3. Pressure Adaptability of Air Compressor without Oil and Water Lubrication
   this type of air compressor replaces traditional oil lubrication through water lubrication to reduce mechanical friction loss. With permanent magnet frequency conversion technology, the speed can be dynamically adjusted according to gas demand to achieve a balance between pressure and energy consumption. For example, in low-pressure gas supply scenarios (such as 0.15-0.4MPa), its energy efficiency is improved by more than 30% compared with traditional models, and the pressure output is more stable.

2. purity control: full process purification and real-time monitoring

1. multistage Filtration and Purification Technology

   • pre-filtering: Remove particles ≥ 1μm in compressed air to protect subsequent equipment.
   • Oil-Water Separation and Coagulation Filtration: Through activated carbon adsorption and molecular sieve technology, the oil content is reduced to ≤ 0.003 mg/m & sup3;(in line with ISO 8573-1 Class 0 standard), and the moisture content is reduced to ≤ 1ppm (dew point temperature ≤-70 ℃).
   • Ultrafiltration Unit: The 0.01μm filter is used to intercept submicron particles, and the filtration efficiency is ≥ 99.999, which meets the strict requirements of chip manufacturing on particle size (such as ISO Class 1 standard).

2. Purity Advantage of Oil-free Water Lubrication Air Compressor
   this kind of air compressor uses pure water as lubricating medium to eliminate the risk of oil pollution from the source, and the cleanliness of the output gas reaches ISO 8573-1 Class 0 standard. Its water lubrication system reduces metal particle wear and further reduces impurity generation through screw rotor and precision clearance control.

3. Real-time monitoring and closed-loop feedback

   • deploy in-line laser particle counters and dew point sensors to automatically calibrate inspection data every 24 hours to generate purity reports that meet SEMI F37 standards.
   • When the oil concentration, particle content or dew point temperature exceeds the threshold, the system automatically triggers an alarm and starts an emergency filtration procedure to ensure that the gas purity always meets the process requirements.

3. System Collaboration: Deep Integration of Equipment and Process

1. pipeline and tank design
   316L stainless steel or EP grade galvanized steel pipe is used, and the inner wall is electropolished (Ra≤ 0.1 μm) to reduce pipeline corrosion and particle deposition. The inner wall of the cylinder is passivated (such as 10% nitric acid immersion + pure water flushing) to reduce the risk of metal ion dissolution and ensure the purity of the gas storage link.

2. Leak Detection and Prevention

   • leakage in the pipeline network is monitored by the pressure decay method, combined with the helium mass leak detection method (sensitivity up to 10 and 10 Pa · m & sup1;/s) to locate small leakage points.
   • In the regular maintenance of key components (such as lithography laser), the mass flow monitoring and tracer gas method are used to continuously monitor the gas consumption and automatically alarm when abnormal.

3. Whole Process Risk Management
   import the failure mode and impact analysis (FMEA) method to identify risk points in the power source, drying system and distribution network, and reduce the overall risk of the system by more than 90% by adding backup systems, optimizing maintenance plans and improving monitoring measures.

4. application case: the practical effect of oil-free water lubrication air compressor

in a chip manufacturing enterprise, after using oil-free water lubrication air compressor, the gas purity is significantly improved:

• the oil content is reduced from 0.01 mg/m & sup3; to 0.003 mg/m & sup3; to meet the demand for Class 0 gas in high-end process;
• particulate matter concentration increased from ISO Class 5 to Class 1;
• system energy efficiency is improved by 20%, annual maintenance costs are reduced by 40%, and environmental protection requirements are met (waste oil treatment costs are reduced by 90%).

Summary

in chip manufacturing, the control of gas pressure and purity needs to be passed. Precision adjustment technology, multi-stage purification process, real-time monitoring system and core equipment of oil-free water lubrication air compressor collaborative implementation. This type of air compressor uses water as the lubricating medium to eliminate the risk of oil pollution from the source. With intelligent control and whole process risk management, it can stably output high-pressure and high-purity gas, providing key guarantee for chip manufacturing.