How the IPA Vapor Dryer Improves Wafer Processing Results

Silicon wafers require cleaning, rinsing, and drying at certain stages of the fabrication process. The results need to be as flawless as possible, leaving no watermarks and only minimal particle contamination. However incorrect cleaning and drying may lead to contamination, which can cause serious product malfunction and high failure rates. That’s why many semiconductor manufacturers and research facilities use an IPA Vapor Dryer.

Simple methods like rapid spinning and heat drying will no longer work with the latest high-density wafers. Since water is hard to remove from these complex shapes, drying without leaving watermarks is essentially impossible.

This is why cleaning with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is necessary. IPA drying using the vapor method delivers wafers that are completely free of watermarks and with minimal contamination. Modutek’s IPA vapor dryer features a design which obtains high-quality results by serving IPA vapor at the upper reaches of the drying tank, which ensures the distribution is even. Since the IPA's surface tension is lower than that of water, such vapor serving introduces a gradient of surface tension where IPA meets with a layer of water on the water surface.

Using the “Marangoni drying effect” water quickly leaves the surface and leaves the surface completely dried and clean. Since water never actually evaporates, it leaves no watermarks behind. Ozone is applied into the drying tank to make sure that the drying process does not leave any trace of contamination. The process takes no longer than 15 minutes.

Modutek's in-house team of experts in IPA vapor dryer design will work with a client’s technical team to design and create IPA Vapor Dryers that will specifically meet their application requirements. Clients can also come to Modutek’s facility to review testing results and confirm the equipment will work as needed.

Read the complete article “How the IPA Vapor Dryer Improves Wafer Processing Results” to learn more about Modutek’s IPA vapor dryers. For a free consultation or quote contact Modutek at modutek@modutek.com or call 866-803-1533.

How to Qualify Which Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers Meet Your Requirements

There are lots of things to consider when you review potential suppliers to use from a list of semiconductor equipment manufacturers. Below are some of the things to consider.

Can the semiconductor equipment manufacturer supply the equipment you need when customized solutions are needed to meet your specific requirements? Whether a customer needs to upgrade equipment, replace old equipment with newer ones or have new components integrated with existing systems, manufacturers need to provide extensive experience and expertise with such customizations. In that way, they will be able to supply the exact equipment that will suit a customer's specifications and requirements.

After Equipment is purchased and set up at a facility it needs to be reliable and stay online for long periods of time and with minimal downtime. The best way to find out if a supplier can provide equipment of such description is to contact references and review their reliability statistics.

Once a customer has chosen a specific supplier, they should review the warranty and support capability first before signing a contract. New equipment warranties usually come with at least one year. As for after-sales support, the customer should also check on the strength of the supplier's service department. The most generous warranties will not be of much use if the supplier has few personnel that are able to deliver on it.

Customers should also avoid suppliers that use third-party service support because it is a strong indication that these suppliers are not well equipped to provide quality after-sales support. The best way to check on a company's service ability is to simply call with a question prior to purchase. In most cases, it’s also best to use a supplier that has a proven track record in providing equipment and service to industry manufacturers. Modutek is a leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer with over 35 years of experience that you can trust to meet your specific needs.

For more details read the complete article titled, “How to Qualify Which Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers Meet Your Requirements”. For a free quote or consultation contact Modutek at Modutek@modutek.com or call 866-803-1533.