The Safeskin NxT synthetic nitrile polymer cleanroom glove is made from acrylonitrile butadiene and contains no natural rubber latex. The white, ambidextrous, beaded-cuff glove has textured fingertips. It has a minimum tensile strength of 14 MPa before aging and after accelerated aging, and ultimate elongation of 500% before aging and 400% after accelerated aging. The glove's nominal thickness is 0.16 mm at the middle finger, 0.13 mm at the palm, and 0.10 mm at the cuff. Its nominal length is 305 mm. With a particle rating of 950 ≥0.5-µm particles/cm², its extractables levels are 0.03 µg/cm² for sodium, 0.03 µg/cm² for ammonium, 0.03 µg/cm² for potassium, 0.03 µg/cm² for magnesium, 0.33 µg/cm² for calcium, 0.23 µg/cm² for chloride, 0.13 µg/cm² for nitrate, and 0.07 µg/cm² for sulfate. (Semicon Southwest, Booth 1032)

Spin Coater

The Delta 80 spin coater offers both the patented Gyrset system and conventional open-bowl coating with the high acceleration capabilities required for some thin-resist applications. The tool's ability to coat thick resist makes it suitable for MEMS applications. The Gyrset technology features a closed processing chamber, which creates a solvent-saturated and turbulence-free atmosphere above the substrate. The technology is required for uniform coating of rectangular substrates and for all fast-drying photoresists. It yields a uniform, consistent coating thickness on most surfaces without spinning defects, such as rebounding, splashback, striations, comets, or corner effects. The Delta 80 can process delicate wafer fragments, 200-mm wafers, and substrates up to 6 x 6 in. A quick-exchange system enables operators to change wafer sizes with ease.

Process Mass Spectrometers

The Dycor ProLine series of process mass spectrometers are compact, bench-top systems that provide real-time process monitoring and control. They feature high mass resolution, a low cost-per-sample point, a flexible design, user-defined data presentation, and high sample rate and data throughput. Available with up to 16 inlet ports for sampling process streams and calibration gases, the systems are fully automatic. They come with multiport automatic valve switching, an inlet manifold, a turbomolecular pumping package, and a choice of closed ion-source analyzers. The quadrupole mass spectrometers determine the amounts of different gas species in a sample by providing data output not only in ion current or partial pressure, but also in concentration units (such as parts per million and percent). Automatic calibration and calibration verification features allow users to quantify the amount of gas species in a sample and to maintain analyzer sensitivity and stability. (Semicon Southwest, Booth 1308)

Miniature Digital Servo Drive

The Harmonica is an intelligent, one-horsepower digital servo drive in a tiny, 150-g package. The drive provides up to 750 W of continuous output power and 1500 W of peak power. It features sinusoidal vector control, trapezoidal vector control, and trapezoidal six-step and dc commutation methods. Integrated into the drive is high-efficiency power switching technology aligned with a fast version of the CANopen protocol. The drive is fully programmable with company-supplied programming language. Users can employ the Composer setup tool to perform drive setup, configuration, tuning, analysis, and drive programming quickly and easily.

Fusion Welder

The BCF Plus Fusion Machine joins a variety of piping materials and provides strong fusion welds. The compact unit produces strong, reproducible fusion welds without irregularities, beads, or crevices. Easily transportable to remote installation sites, the unit can join SYGEF PVDF-HP, SYGEF PVDF standard, and PP-n (natural) piping components ranging in size from 20 mm (1/2 in.) through 63 mm (2 in.). An option is available for fusing 75–110-mm (2 1/2–4-in.) piping. The machine uses standard butt-fusion fittings that not only reduce costs, but also allow for more-compact installations. A high-purity transport crate is provided with the unit. Accessories available include a facer, a back support, a hose box, and a card for electronic evaluation of fusion data.

Wafer-Position Detector

Whereas conventional equipment measures notches with sensors that scan the periphery of a rotating 300-mm wafer, the VS-Aligner wafer-position detector makes a single, rapid measurement using whole-wafer images produced by a megapixel digital image sensor. The images are automatically analyzed to determine each notch and center coordinates. The center position is accurate to within ±0.05 pixels, while the angle is accurate to within ±0.06° (repeatable). Direct digital processing image resolution is 1280 x 1024 pixels. Featuring Ethernet/USB 1.1/EIA-232C connectivity, the unit is easy to integrate and install. The main unit measures 80 mm wide x 130 mm high x 117 mm deep, while the camera measures 33 mm wide x 33 mm high x 44 mm deep.

Valve with Position Indicator

A manual shut-off valve has a position indicator that is connected to a PC or PLC, allowing fab personnel to manage plant safety more effectively and with fewer visual inspections of valve positions than conventional valves. Fabs can have several manual valves, which must be inspected periodically to determine whether they are on or off. The valve-position indicator performs that function electronically, avoiding time-consuming visual inspections and the possibility of human error. The indicator provides personnel with constant access to real-time information about the ever-changing situation on the fab floor, enabling them to respond quickly if necessary. The unit detects the position of the manual valve through two dry reed switches, which allows a controller to control valve position.

Thin-Film Metrology Tool

Used for R&D and volume production of 90-nm devices, FilmTek 2000M-DUV provides complete characterization of semiconductor films. The instrument allows product wafer monitoring in 193-nm DUV lithography and other film applications. It measures thickness and optical film properties simultaneously. Based on broadband spectrophotometry at wavelengths of 190 to 1700 nm, it has a measurement spot size as small as 5 µm in diameter. A proprietary algorithm enables the system to characterize single- and multilayer films ranging in thickness from 3 Å to 250 µm in deposition, diffusion, etch, and lithography processes. It can characterize metal films and determine their thickness up to several hundred angstroms. The instrument also can determine extinction coefficient and index, roughness, porosity, composition, crystallinity, energy band gap, inhomogeneity, and depth gradient.

CVD Precursors

Three CVD precursors, Z2DM (dimethyldimethoxysilane), Z4MS (tetramethylsilane), and ZTOMCATS (tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane), are multifunctional silicon source liquids. They are designed for advanced PECVD processes used to deposit thin-film dielectrics, including passivation, etch-stop, hard-mask, and copper diffusion barrier films. These high-performance liquid precursors are compatible with copper dual-damascene and aluminum processes. They are colorless, noncorrosive, nonpyrophoric organosilicon liquids that meet the highest purity requirements of the semiconductor industry. The products offer the same low cost of ownership, quality, and availability as Z3MS CVD precursor.