What does compressed air do in a semiconductor factory?

First tell a big truth

the semiconductor factory, on the surface, is "making chips", but in fact there is a person behind it. The invisible hero-Compressed air.

You might think that the chip is so precise that it should all rely on electricity and light, right? No. From a silicon chip to the processor in your mobile phone, there are hundreds of processes many links are inseparable from a clean compressed air.

It can be understood as follows: without compressed air, half the work in a semiconductor factory can't be done.

What exactly does compressed air do in a semiconductor plant?

1. Purge and clean-give the chip a "bath"

during the chip manufacturing process, even a grain of dust on the surface of the silicon wafer may cause the entire chip to be scrapped. So every step of the process, use compressed air to blow the surface clean.

It's like washing the bowl with water after you wash it, but the semiconductor factory uses layer-by-layer filtered compressed air it is cleaner than tap water, and particles that are invisible to the naked eye are blown away.

2. Drive pneumatic tools-screw and move things

there are a large number of pneumatic wrenches, pneumatic clamps and pneumatic valves on the production line, all of which rely on compressed air to "work hard".

For example, when the chip is packaged into the housing, it needs to be accurately positioned, clamped and loosened. These actions are fast and light. It is easy to overshoot with electric drive, and it is just right to drive with compressed air-- soft strength, quick response, will not break the delicate things.

3. Air flow control-help gas "line up"

A key step in semiconductor manufacturing is called "thin film deposition", which is to lay material layer by layer on a silicon wafer. This process requires the precise delivery of various gases to the surface of the silicon wafer.

The role of compressed air here is like traffic Police-- It helps the process gas control flow, switch direction, maintain stability, and ensure that each layer of material is evenly spread and the thickness is consistent.

4. Cooling and temperature control-to "cool down" the equipment"

etching, lithography these processes will generate a lot of heat, equipment and workpieces need to be cooled in time. Compressed air blowing past, like a cold towel to a person with a fever, to stabilize the temperature.

As soon as the temperature fluctuates, the circuit of the chip may be crooked, so this "blowing cold air" job looks simple, but it is actually especially critical.

5. The "partner" of the vacuum system"

many semiconductor devices need to be vacuumed and then inflated, repeated cycles. Compressed air here is responsible for the exhaust gas in the cavity quickly washed away, to prepare for the next round of vacuum.

Just like blowing things on the ground to one side before sweeping the floor, blowing them back after sweeping, cooperating back and forth, the efficiency is high.

Why are semiconductor factories so "clean" about air "?

Because of the wiring on the chip, the narrow one is only one ten thousandth of a few hairs.

If a little bit of oil mist, water mist, and dust are mixed in the air, falling on the chip is equivalent to putting a big stone on the road-the entire circuit may be broken or short-circuited.

Therefore, the requirements for compressed air used in semiconductor plants are:

• there can be no oil.-- Oil mist will contaminate the chip surface
• can't have water-- Water droplets can cause oxidation and short circuits
• no particles.-- Not even a few tenths of a micron.
• No smell-- Some chemical components can corrode materials

simply put: this air has to be cleaner than the operating room.

How does the water lubricated air compressor come in handy here?

Traditional air compressors rely on oil to lubricate, no matter how well the seal is done, there will always be a trace of oil vapor mixed into the air. Just like when you are cooking in the kitchen, the lampblack will float out even if it is small.

And water-lubricated air compressor it's completely different-it uses water instead of oil for lubrication and sealing, and the compressed air born without oil..

Specific to the semiconductor factory:

• the gas itself is clean.: Water will not evaporate into oil mist, so the oil content of the air coming out of the machine is almost negligible, eliminating a large string of filtering equipment behind.
• Don't worry about oil aging.: The oil of the traditional air compressor will deteriorate and become sticky after being used for a long time, and the risk of pollution is increasing. Water does not have this problem, and the quality of gas production is stable for as long as possible.
• Simple maintenance there is no need to change oil or dispose of waste oil. For the 24-hour non-stop environment of semiconductor factories, one less worry is one more guarantee.
• Easier with drying system: Because the water content of the air itself is controllable, the dew point required by the semiconductor can be directly reached by connecting the dryer behind, and the whole gas path is more concise.

For example, the traditional oil-lubricated air compressor is like cooking with a range hood, and more or less oil will come out. The water-lubricated air compressor is like steaming something with a steamer, and all it comes out is clean steam, solve the oil problem from the source.

What is the role of oil-free water lubrication air compressor?

In fact, no oil and water lubrication and water lubrication ideas are similar, are don't let the oil touch the compressed air.

However, the oil-free water lubrication is through a special structural design, so that the rotors can be rotated without oil at all, relying on precise gap control and material coordination.

In semiconductor plants, oil-free air compressors can also provide ultra-clean compressed air and because there is no water involved, the subsequent drying burden is lighter, which is suitable for those processes that are particularly sensitive to water content.

The core purpose of the two technologies is the same:

let the compressed air have neither oil nor excess water to serve the chips cleanly.

One sentence summary

in a semiconductor factory, compressed air is not a supporting role, but one of the three foundations that are juxtaposed with electricity and light. Purge, drive, flow control, cooling, everywhere to be used. To meet the "abnormal grade" cleanliness requirements of the chip, water-lubricated air compressors and oil-free water-lubricated air compressors have become the most suitable choices-- keep oil and dirt out of the door from the source, so that every wisp of air is worthy of the precision of the chip.