Services

Semiconductor chamber parts cleaning lagged behind the "Ultra-Clean Revolution" which is central in discussing all other semiconductor process inputs (i.e., gases, chemicals and silicon). Every other semiconductor process input has a Certificate of Analysis (COA)─even new parts. However, recycled chamber part cleanliness varies significantly in particle levels and atomic level contamination. This is partly because standard practice used the tools themselves to perform the final cleaning of the parts. Verifying cleanliness targets was achieved by using many test wafers, expensive wafer metrology and wasted production time.

Over 20 years ago, our Services Division recognized this omission. To fill this gap, not only did we develop our processes to offer ultra-high purity (UHP) cleaning; but, we continue to evolve techniques as nodes become smaller and smaller.

As a result, we were the first and continue to be the leader in offering UHP chamber parts validated analytically with a COA.

For our customers, this means they can start up their chambers faster and run more consistently to target.

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We Help Reduce Your Cost-of-Ownership.

Central to enabling chamber-level cost reductions is the recycled chamber part. The micro-contamination control of a recycled part is now similar to the requirements for a new part. New part cleaning primarily eliminates surface manufacturing by-products. However, achieving similar results on a recycled part requires damage-free removal of deposited films. Fab maintenance programs utilizing recycled chamber parts cannot tolerate variability in particle performance or atomic level contamination because it affects start-up and process performance.

As a worldwide leader in ultra-high purity (UHP) semiconductor chamber tool parts cleaning and coatings, we meet the stringent cleaning and micro-contamination specifications of new and recycled parts. We provide solutions that improve process performance and lower overall cost-of-ownership.

We focus on the most critical process areas of wafer fabrication—ALD, CVD, etch, diffusion and PVD.

For ALD, we offer proprietary chemistry that selectively removes deposition, specialized facilities capabilities for large and heavy parts and the employment of ICP-MS and IC analysis techniques. In addition, we have extensive showerhead cleaning expertise and automated optical hole inspection for CVD.

Our expertise in etch tool kit cleaning offers:

• Minimally abrasive & non-contact processes
• Plasma re-coating surfaces & coatings superior to OEM films
• Quartz clean recipes that make the quartz less susceptible to process etch

We have more quartz, silicon carbide and silicon diffusion parts handling processes, equipment and protocols than all of our competitors combined. Our Environmentally Clean Process eliminates the use of chemicals for Twin Wire Arc Spray (TWAS)/deposit removal. In addition, we offer C-Coat, a proprietary coating that obtains superior performance over traditional TWAS coating on PVD parts.

The benefits of using our analytically validated ultra-clean part cleaning and coating processes are:

• Faster chamber recovery
• Longer mean time between cleans
• Extended part life
• More predictable chamber start-up & operation
• Faster part turnaround times resulting in reduced inventory costs

Most of our competitors only offer recycled chamber parts cleaning. What sets us apart is our vast experience in not only processing contaminated parts from wafer fabs ("recycle" parts), but in UHP cleaning of new parts for OEMs and OPMs.

Improving Your Productivity with Our Proprietary Performance Coatings

To address the high cost of advanced nodes, chipmakers are seeking new ways to increase yield and tool availability. Chamber management, particularly particle performance, is critical to optimizing the manufacturing process. Longer preventative maintenance (PM) cycles can be achieved by reducing part corrosion for etch processes and increasing adhesion for deposition processes such as PVD. Coating applications to a part can extend the Mean Time Between Cleans (MTBC). Advanced coatings are increasingly being implemented to deliver lower cost-of-ownership (COO) while delivering excellent process performance.

Our advanced coatings for semiconductor processes are tailored to the requirements of our customers. This portfolio of coating materials, techniques and knowledge allows us to custom design solutions that balance performance with costs.

To maintain a clean process environment, PVD chambers require adhesion of excess sputtered material to exposed part surfaces. Greater adherence means thicker films can accumulate on the part surface, thereby reducing the frequency of PM. Since residual stress depends on the material (e.g., Ti, TiN, W), optimization of the coating is critical. Arc spray technology enables the application of aluminum and other metal/alloy coatings to the part substrate, delivering a barrier layer with the required surface roughness for the deposited material to adhere. To reduce the recycle loop turnaround time, our Environmentally Clean Process (ECP) removes the deposition and existing coating in an environmentally safe manner while closely maintaining the part dimension. ECP cleaning extends part lifetime, lowering overall COO.

Halogen-containing plasmas in etch not only pattern the wafer; but, they also react with chamber parts. To address this, our advanced coatings provide more uniform and higher quality coatings to increase part lifetime and reduce particles. Chambers utilizing coated parts have higher uptime and wafer output. Traditionally, the industry used yttria (Y2O3) to protect plasma-exposed part surfaces; however, newer coatings improve barrier performance and reduce post-PM chamber seasoning and qualification time. Our advanced coating technology uses proprietary applications and the most advanced thermal spray technology.

All coatings are completed by our computer-controlled robots and are monitored via SPC parameters to ensure specifications are consistently met.

As we continue to pursue new technologies and materials to enhance performance, our knowledgeable engineering team can create advanced customized coating solutions for our customers.

Global Footprint. Local Technology Solutions.

As a worldwide leader in ultra-high purity (UHP) semiconductor chamber parts cleaning, coatings and analytical verification, we provide solutions that improve our customers' process performance and lower overall cost-of-ownership.

With the largest global footprint in the industry, we deliver value to our customers wherever they are in the world.

Copy exact process transfers ensure that our customers receive the same UHP process at Advanced Technology Cleaning Centers and ChemTrace analytical testing laboratories throughout the world.

We are the only semiconductor parts cleaning and coating company supported by a fully accredited in-house analytical laboratory business─ChemTrace. And, the only one that can deliver UHP semiconductor process chamber tool parts for our customers verified by a Certificate of Analysis.