Brooks Instrument CTO to lecture on in-situ diagnostics in semiconductor manufacturing

HATFIELD, USA: Bill Valentine, CTO at Brooks Instrument, will join a panel of expert presenters at the Advanced Process Control (APC) Conference XXVI hosted by the Integrated Measurement Association.

Valentine’s topic, “A New Multi-Sensor Mass Flow Controller Provides In-Situ Performance Data to Enable Fault Detection and Predicative Maintenance,” will discuss the results of a one-year tool study that examined how new developments in real-time mass flow controller (MFC) diagnostics technology can help improve process yields, chamber to chamber matching and reduce operational costs in semiconductor manufacturing.

The presentation is part of Technical Session 4: Virtual & Innovative Sensors and Metrology which will be held at the University of Michigan, Rackham Building in Ann Arbor, MI on Wednesday, October 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Brooks Instrument is a world-leading provider of advanced flow, pressure, vacuum and vapor delivery solutions used for Front End Of Line (FEOL) and Back End Of Line (BEOL) semiconductor fabrication applications. As a pioneer in the development of MFC technologies for the semiconductor industry, Brooks Instrument has made substantial investments to drive improvements in how MFC technology can help solve fundamental process issues.

Typical performance verification tests require the user to take the tool off line to perform diagnostic tests such as calibration verification, valve leak and zero drift. Valentine’s presentation will describe how a new generation of MFCs utilizing in-situ multi-sensor diagnostics provides extremely precise real-time process data that enables the user to track and trend gas delivery performance.

The results of the use of MFCs embedded with this technology have been evaluated on tools at several Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs). Valentine’s paper includes data on improvements in zero drift, changes in flow accuracy and valve leak, as well as the impact this real-time data has on improving process yields.

In addition to the new generation of MFCs, Valentine will discuss how the MFC has become a critical component in semiconductor tools, enabling equipment and process automation as well as more precise gas control for shrinking geometries. And while the MFC is the most complex component in a gas delivery system, until recently there wasn’t an effective method to directly monitor performance while running processes.