Overview Of Cleanroom And

Microfabrication Technology

FARIZA MOHAMAD
JEL
1.1 Cleanroom System and
Operation
 Introduction

DEFINITION CLEANROOM:

 It is an environment which
used in manufacturing or
scientific research
 It is has a low level of
environmental pollutants such
as dust and chemical vapors
 It has controlled level of
contamination that has
specified by the number of
particles per meter-cubed and
by maximum particles size.
Introduction
 Introduction

 First used for surgery room to avoid bacteria contamination

Adopted in semiconductor industry in 1950

Smaller device needs higher grade clean room

Less particle, more expensive to build

 Why cleanroom?

Industries /Products Range of critical particle

sizes (µm)
Precision engineering 1-100
Paint technology 5-10
Medical devices technology 5-10
Miniature relays 0.5-25
Microsystem technology 0.5-5
Optical structural component 0.3-20
Microelectronic 0.03-0.5
Contamination
Source and control of
contamination
• Dirty areas adjacent to the cleanroom
• Unfiltered air supply
• Room air
• Surface
• People
• Machines
• Raw material
• Containers
• Packaging
 People

The contamination produce by People as follow:

 Skin flakes and oil
 Cosmetics and perfume
 Spittle
 Clothing debris (lint, fibers etc.)
 Hair
Source and control of
contamination Particles

Caused by movement
Source and control of
contamination

 Human is a major source of particles contamination.

Human will be eliminated more and more from production
environment / the isolation of product will increase

 At present, human as transportation media but in in future,

human might overtake just supervising responsibilities.
Sizing up the enemy
Effect of Particles on Masks
Effect of Particle Contamination
Classification of cleanroom
standard:
There are three (3) classifications of cleanroom standard,

• first federal standard 209(A-D) of the USA its most easily

understood classification of cleanrooms,

• second federal standard 209E, and

• lastly ISO 14644-1 was published. This standard has been

adopted by all countries in the European union and is now
being adopted by other countries.
Classification of Cleanroom Standard
 Definition of Airborne
Classification of Cleanroom Particulate
Standard

Cleanliness Class
Definition of Airborne per Fed.
Particulate Std. Class
Cleanliness 209E per
Fed. Std. 209E
Classification of Cleanroom Standard
 Cleanroom class

• Class 10 is defined as less than 10

particles with diameter larger than 0.5
m per cubic foot.
• Class 1 is defined as less than 1 such
particles per cubic foot.
• 0.18 mm device require higher than
Class 1 grade clean room.
Cleanroom Basic Structure
 Cleanroom Design and Components

ISO class 5
and below
 Cleanroom Design and Components

Design ISO class 5

Unidirectional Airflow and below

o Sometimes referred as laminar flow cleanroom

o An airflow pattern in which the entire body of air flow within a confined
area. The air moves with a uniform velocity and in single direction with
generally parallel airstreams (laminar flow)
o Cleanroom with ISO class 5 (US Fedstd 209E class 100) and below
have unidirectional airflow pattern
o Raised floor design preferred
o Place driving elements and motors downstream and away from the
product
 Cleanroom Design and Components

Design
Non-Unidirectional Airflow

o Not unidirectional by having a varying velocity, multiple pass circulation or

nonparallel flow pattern
o Conventional flow cleanroom with ISO class 6 and 7 (US FS 209E class
1000 and 1000) have non-unidirectional or mixed air flow pattern
o Present of turbelent airflow
o Driving elements and motors may not be used in the cleanroom
ISO class 6 and 7
Cleanroom Design and Components
 Design of Unidirectional
Cleanrooms
 Horizontal flow unidirectional flow rooms:
In this design, the air is supplied through a wall of high
efficiency filters and flows across the room and exits on the
other side. The air is then returned to a ventilation plant
and back through the air filters. The area of a wall in most
rooms is usually much smaller than the ceiling, and hence a
crossflow room will cost less in capital and running costs
than a down flow one.
 Vertical flow unidirectional cleanrooms

Unidirectional flow rooms used in semiconductor manufacturing

Yellow room (class 2)
 Components

HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air)

 Original HEPA filter was designed in the 1940 to prevent the spread of
airborne radioactive contaminants. It is generic term for highly efficient
filters.
 Theoretically can remove at least 99.97% of pollutants or particles such as
dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and airborne particles with a size of 0.3ưm /
larger at 85 liters per minute (LPM)
 Composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibers. The pollutants and
particles are mainly trapped to a fiber when they force to pass the filter.
ULPA filter (Ultra Low Particulate Air)
 Theoretically, can remove at least 99.999% of pollutant or particles such
as dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and airborne particles with a size of 0.12ưm /
larger at 85 liters per minute (LPM)
Fibers of Filter
Particles on Fibers
Negative pressure fume hood

Negative pressure is to sweep

away contaminants from a
specific processor in areas where
particles and/or other
contaminants are being generated

Critical when handle

poisoning chemical
Students project: laminar flow hood
 Cleanroom Entry Practice

Example of gowning steps for entering the Cleanroom

1st Air Showering*

Wash Hand and Dry Hand*

Wear Hair Net & Mount Mask

Wear Glove

Wear the appropriate uniform according to size and color

Wear Booties

2nd Air Showering

Cleanroom
*if applicable
Wearing a suit
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Electrostatic Discharge, or ESD, is a single-event,
rapid transfer of electrostatic charge between two objects,
usually resulting when two objects at different potentials
come into direct contact with each other. ESD can also
occur when a high electrostatic field develops between two
objects in close proximity. ESD is one of the major causes
of device failures in the semiconductor industry.

Electrostatic charge build-up occurs as a result of an

imbalance of electrons on the surface of a material.

This charging process results in one object gaining

electrons on its surface, and therefore becoming negatively
charged, and another object losing electrons from its
surface, and therefore becoming positively charged.
Hazards Hazardous
Materials

TOXIC
A substances that is capable of
causing injury or damage to a
living organism
REACTIVE
Reactive substances that will
vigorously polymerize, decompose
or become self-reactive due to
shock, pressure or temperature

FLAMMABLE
A substances that will ignite
easily and burn rapidly

CORROSIVE
Substances that cause visible
destruction or irreversible
alteration to materials and tissues
by chemical reaction on contact
VIDEO TOUR ON CLEANROOM
SAFETY PRACTICE
Etiquettes – Materials

Don’t(s)
Do(s)
•Carry non-cleanroom items
•Papers kept in a plastic sleeve
•Carry cleanroom items out of the
•Clean everything you carry into the
cleanroom
cleanroom
•Use pencils or erasers
•Use ball-point pen on cleanroom
•Cut the cleanroom wipers
paper
Etiquettes – Behaviour
Do(s)
•Wear mask and gloves all the time
•Use cleanroom standard
stationeries
•Walk in steady and slow motion
unless in emergency
Don’t(s)
•Scratch bare skin or comb hair
•Run, jump or hop
•Smoke, chew gum or eat
•Sneeze, do not enter cleanroom if you
have a flu/cold
Etiquettes – Wafer handling

Tools
 Vacuum Handler
 Wafer Transfer
 Tweezers
 Cassette
 Box
Etiquettes – Wafer handling

 Do not touch wafer, cassette and box with bare

hand/finger. Use glove.
 Carry wafer with cassette and box.
 Do not shake box when inspecting the contain.
 Clean cassette and box in accordance to the
maintenance schedule.
 Always use cassette and box in colors that have
been designed for identical processes.
 Always open box under air filters.
 When not in use, all boxes must remain close at all
times.
 All wafer handlers shall be cleaned in accordance to
their maintenance schedule
First aid

Chemical Splashes (on person)

 Rinse for 15 minutes (minor)
 Shower and seek professional help (major)

Hydrofluoric Acid
 Rinse for 5 mins and massage calcium glutamate

Burns
 Minor burns should be treated with cold water. More
extensive burns should be covered with a clean
cloth until professional help arrives.
First aid

Poisoning
 Determine the cause of poisoning and call for
professional help.

Dizziness
 Remove them to fresh air and have them sit down.
If fainting occurs, get medical attention.
1.2 Transistor Fabrication
Processes
What is IC fabrication?
 Semiconductor processing facility which turns
wafers into Integrated Circuits (ICs). A typical
wafer fabrication employs a series of complex steps
to define conductors, transistors, resistors, and
other electronic components on the
semiconductor wafer. The steps are built in the
cleanroom includes Oxidation, Photolithography,
Etching and Metallization process.
The Evolution of IC

1.1947 – First transistor, AT & T Bell Labs

2.1952 – First Single Crystal Germanium
3.1954 – First Single Crystal Silicon
4.1958 – First IC Device, TI
5.1961 – First IC product, Fairchild Camera
The transistor invented at Bell lab. in 1947

In 1956 the importance of the invention of the transistor by

Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley was recognized by the Nobel
Prize in physics.
 Shockley left Bell Labs in 1956, to start his own lab in
San Francisco Bay, California. Nowadays known as
Silicon Valley. His lab has attracted talented scientist
such as Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.

 Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce left Shockley in 1957

to start Fairchild Semiconductor.
IC Device by Jack Kilby, Texas
Instruments 1958
 1st fabricated by Bell Labs
in 1958.
 Jack Kilby demonstrated
functional IC, fabricated
on germanium strip
consists of;
 one transistor, one
capacitor and 3 resistors
Silicon IC Chip by Robert Noyce, Fairchild
Camera, 1961
 Fairchild Semiconductor
produced the
1stcommercial ICs in 1961.
This IC consists of only 4
transistors sold for USD
150 a piece.
 NASA was the main
customer.
 In 1968, Robert Noyce co-
founded Intel Corp. with
Andrew Groove and
Gordon Moore.
IC Fabrication Technology: History (cont.)

 1960 - First MOSFET fabricated

 Kahng at Bell Labs fabricates the first MOSFET.

 1961 - First commercial ICs

 Fairchild and Texas Instruments both introduce

commercial ICs.

 1962 - Transistor-Transistor Logic invented

 1963 - First MOS IC

 1971 - Microprocessor invented

 The combination of the Busicom (Japanese calculator

company) and the Intel came together and by 1971 the
4004 the first 4-bit microprocessor was in
production. The 4004 processor required roughly
2,300 transistors to implement, used a silicon gate
PMOS process with 10µm linewidths, had a 108KHz
clock speed. In 1974 Intel introduced the 8080, the
first commercially successful microprocessor.

 In 1972-Intel has made the 8008 was the 8 bit

successor to the 4004 and was used in the Mark-8
computer, one of the first home computers. The 8008
had 3,500 transistors, a 200kHz clock speed and a
15.2mm2 die size.
Taxonomy of Microfabrication
Processes
The Chip Manufacturing Process
The Fabrication of IC’s
IC Fabrication Processes
 Front-End Processing (Wafer fabrication)
 Back-End Processing (Assembly and Testing)
Planar Technology Flow

1. Lithography
2. Schematic design
3. Layout design
4. Mask design
5. Mask fabrication
6. Wafer treatment
7. Structures forming
8. Mounting and control
9. Hermetic encapsulation
10.Electric measurements on the wafer
11.Testing
12.Final processes
13.Oxidation
14.Diffusion and Ion implantation
(12, 13 and 14 steps are repeated periodically)
Key working materials (1/2)
 n-type semiconductor (n or n+)
 Majority carrier: electrons
 Typical impurity: Ph (Column V)
 p-type semiconductor (p or p+)
 Majority carrier: holes
 Typical impurity: Boron (Column III)
 Insulator - Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
 Used to insulate transistor gates (thin oxide)
 Used to insulate layers of wires (field oxide)
 Can be grown on Silicon or Chemically Deposited
Key working materials (2/2)
 Polysilicon - polycrystalline silicon
 Key material for transistor gates
 Also used for short wires
 Added by chemical deposition
 Metal - Aluminum (…and more recently Copper)
 Used for wires
 Multiple layers common
 Added by vapor deposition or “sputtering”
NMOS Process Recipe (1/2)
NMOS Process Recipe (2/2)
PMOS Masking (1/5)
PMOS Masking (2/5)
PMOS Masking (4/5)
CMOS Inverter (1/21)
CMOS Inverter (2/21)
CMOS Inverter (3/21)
CMOS Inverter (4/21)
CMOS Inverter (5/21)
CMOS Inverter (6/21)
CMOS Inverter (7/21)
CMOS Inverter (8/21)
CMOS Inverter (9/21)
CMOS Inverter (10/21)
CMOS Inverter (11/21)
CMOS Inverter (12/21)
CMOS Inverter (13/21)
CMOS Inverter (14/21)
CMOS Inverter (15/21)
CMOS Inverter (16/21)
CMOS Inverter (17/21)
CMOS Inverter (18/21)
CMOS Inverter (19/21)
CMOS Inverter (20/21)
CMOS Inverter (21/21)
END OF CHAPTER 1