A fact-finding survey on the heat generation from processing equipment at a semiconductor fab under operation

The energy balance in vertical oxidation furnaces in a semiconductor fab under full scale operation was measured for the heat loads for cooling water, exhaust air and clean room air, which have not yet fully been reported. The results showed that the heat generated from the furnaces was removed with ratio of 64% by cooling water, 14% by exhausting air and 22% by clean room air, indicating very similar values measured in a laboratory scale operation reported by the authors at ISSM´99. Based on these results, the amount of energy saving was estimated by applying the energy saving methods proposed at ISSM´99. More than 35% of energy consumption can be reduced, which corresponds to more than 50% reduction of CO₂ release or 50% operation cost reduction compared to the current system