Sensor Technology to Support the Semiconductor Industry
There’s no denying the importance of semiconductors in modern life. From smartphones to smart factories, these crucial pieces of technology are what make Industry 4.0 possible. Semiconductors require precise and careful fabrication, and the potential for exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) during the process calls for the highest standard of sensors and monitoring – something ION SENSE, as leaders in PID (photoionisation detection) technology, can deliver.
Throughout the fabrication process, many different types of VOCs and gases are used in the creation of miniature integrated circuits on silicon wafers. It is critical that during fabrication, the wafers are only exposed to the precise and desired amounts of VOC. Any unaccounted-for VOC, even at incredibly low levels, has the potential to interfere with the creation of the wafer and ruin the circuit. With demand for semiconductors at an all-time high, the risk of losing a batch of product due to improper monitoring is not something producers can afford to chance.
Employing the highest level of sensor monitoring in semiconductor manufacturing facilities (known as fabs) is the best way to ensure product uniformity and to reduce the risk of defects from VOCs. Sensor monitoring in fabs has the added benefit of protecting workers, those who are working directly with the semiconductors and wafers, and local communities by monitoring and controlling off site emissions.
Worker risk is highest in cleanrooms, where a variety of chemicals are used throughout the stages of creating the wafers. Potential VOCs that workers could be exposed to include ethylene glycol, trichloroethylene and xylene, whilst as a result of certain processes, there is a risk of benzene and formaldehyde exposure. As all of these pose serious health risks, even in low concentrations, monitoring for VOCs and protecting the health of workers takes a high priority in the fabs.
As experts in VOC monitoring and PID technology, ION SENSE have supported many semiconductor facilities in establishing appropriate monitoring technologies. ION SENSE’s leading range of MiniPID 2 sensors , are renowned through the industry as the PID sensor of choice for monitoring and instrumentation. ION SENSE can protect everything from individual workers through to whole sites and units.
