ALD Machines

Abstract

State-of-the-art wafer fabrication equipment for semiconductor manufacturing is represented by the systems used to process 300 mm wafers. Equipment used for leading edge manufacturing is complex with stringent requirements on within-wafer and wafer-to-wafer nonuniformity of thickness, composition, and resistivity. In addition, particle defects, step coverage, and wafer throughput, as measured by number of wafers processed per hour, are also key criteria for selecting the optimum equipment. The ALD machines used for semiconductor manufacturing are also highly sophisticated in terms of wafer handling, FOUP transfer, factory automation, host communication, ambient contamination control, and safety interlocks. Unlike the ALD reactors used in research, ALD equipment used for semiconductor manufacturing also needs to be installed with proper abatement systems for effluent treatment such that the exhaust and waste water streams are in compliance with the industrial regulations of various local jurisdictions. The following sections will describe major ALD reactor types used in semiconductor manufacturing as well as some of the necessary support equipment.