Ultra-high purity gas distribution systems for sub 0.5 μm ULSI manufacturing

Details from the design, installation, and certification of a novel, zero deadspace, continuous flow, facility gas distribution and monitoring system, and its initial commissioning results are presented. The system as described has been implemented on the N₂, O₂, He, and Ar supply lines at Digital Semiconductor´s Fab 6 in Hudson, MA. Ultra-high purity (UHP) gases supplied via these systems have demonstrated guaranteed performance specifications of <1 part-per-billion (ppb), for individual contaminants, to the tool hook-up point-of-connect (POC). Digital Semiconductor adopted this design to supply ultra-high purity gases to processing equipment in support of three successive generations of sub 0.5 μm ULSI semiconductor development and production. Proposed advantages of the design include reduced contaminant accumulation and intrusion with improved purgability, maintainability, and upset monitoring. Results presented detail system start-up and baselining, including data at tool hook-up POC