The semiconductor wafer is the substructure on which the circuitry of every computer chip is laid down. Semiconductor wafers are fabricated in high-tech foundries, and require a precise, ultra-clean operation. One of the most basic requirements of a semiconductor wafer operation: reliably clean quartz tubes. Quartz tube cleaning stations are required equipment at every semiconductor foundry.
Most have several units stationed at different parts of the manufacturing process, each one specifically tuned and adjusted to the requirements of specific applications. Since the quartz tube cleaning process requires the use of corrosive chemicals, it takes an involved manufacturer and installer of quartz tube cleaning stations to design and install custom units for specific client needs.
How do quartz tube cleaning stations help?
Quartz tubes being delicate articles, cleaning them can be risk-prone. The ideal quartz tube cleaning process, therefore, minimizes human handling at every stage. This is the reason automated quartz tube cleaning stations are essential at any semiconductor wafer foundry.
With Modutek’s quartz tube cleaning stations, the handling of tubes during the cleaning process is mostly avoided — cleaning stations are designed to keep quartz tubes in motion while they are etched, and powerful nozzles direct water spray at the quartz tubes to maximize coverage Custom-designed cleaning stations come with many other options that can be applied to specific needs. Automated processes and nitrogen-drying can help in specific parts of the manufacturing process, for instance.
What do quartz tube cleaning stations look like?
The quartz tube cleaning stations designed and fabricated by Modutek are built out of white polypropylene. The cleaning processes are controlled by systems that can be turned to manual or automated mode, and units can be customized to specific height levels to perfectly fit the processes to which they are to be applied. Workers at these stations are protected from the acid cycle with PVC safety shields, and other standard features include hand-sprayers for deionized water, and Teflon guns for nitrogen use.
Clients are presented with a wide array of choices comes to customization. The station can be constructed out of FM 4910, or can include a hot nitrogen drying process as needed, for example. The right kind of holding tanks, automated bottle washers and other features can be designed and applied where necessary, and quality certifications required by third parties are arranged for, as well.
Automation Where it’s Needed
Modutek’s quartz tube cleaning stations can be designed and customized with optional automation for process lines that need it. From automated program recipes to tube roller systems, every part of the process can be made more efficient with automation. The operator merely monitors and controls the process through information presented on a screen, and can control various functions remotely. From bottle washing to drying, every part of the process is remotely monitored.
Automated processes do not actually require operator intervention. Processes, once they are set off, can go through to completion without operator input. Manual functions, when they are necessary in certain processes, can be remotely controlled at any point.
A process design that is set up to help the operator test different cycle times, is one of the most important parts of a properly designed automated system. Modutek offers a well-designed process to aid in testing. Once the right times are discovered, they can be locked in place to prevent accidental change
Modutek’s quartz tube cleaning stations, whether manual and automatic, are fully designed in-house. In-house design expertise helps ensure superior performance in any installation. With ultra-cleanliness being a basic requirement of the semiconductor fabrication process, customization to individual process needs is an absolute necessity for effective design. Modutek’s close control of the design of these appliances helps make it happen. Clients find Modutek’s complete, end-to-end support immensely helpful in the design of their lines. Whatever the application, Modutek has the expertise to evaluate, assess, design and deliver turnkey solutions.
