Applications
Seal design and performance are critical components on the tools used in semiconductor fabs. Seals and clamps can be used in an array of applications within the semiconductor industry. Applications include low bleed, silicone door seals on chemical deposition tools, highly engineered EPDM rubber actuators on lithography equipment, and fabric reinforced EPDM actuators used on grinding tools.
Thermal Processing Inflatable Seals
We provide unique inflatable seals made from high-grade EPDM and silicone rubber materials. These semiconductor seals are used on the load locks and access doors in advanced vertical thermal processors for 200 mm wafers. The 150-wafer load size of these processors supports peak production by providing higher throughput at the lowest cost per wafer. The inflatable seals resist both vacuum and positive pressure, and replace traditional flat gasketing and O-rings, thereby simplifying the hardware and speeding the overall processing operation.
Circuit Board Inflatable Seals
A thin wall, low durometer neoprene molded inflatable seal for double sided automatic exposure units for printed circuit board imaging is used to create a positive seal between the printed circuit board material and the imaging platen as a vacuum is drawn. The printed circuit boards are intricately imaged in this vacuum environment and the inflatable seal speeds the overall process and replaces traditional hardware associated with a positive seal over a large surface.
Low Outgassing Expansion Joint
Ductwork enclosing a conveyor belt connects several clean rooms together, allowing for material movement between rooms. To address outgassing concerns and to account for slight movement in the ducting, we designed a molded expansion joint made from a low outgassing silicone material. Manufacture of this molded semiconductor gasket is tightly controlled as any contaminants could compromise the clean room environment.
Load Lock Inflatable Seal/Clamp
A load lock inflatable seal is a unique product made of low outgassing butyl rubber material. It has been tested for vacuum service and provides a highly efficient and repeatable seal in the patented vacuum load lock section of a fully automated electron beam metrology system. This metrology system is used for sub-micron critical dimension measurement and integrated circuit imaging. With its unique blend of automation, measurement precision, and high throughput, the system meets and exceeds the process control needs of advance semiconductor manufacturing lines. The load lock inflatable seal simplifies the hardware necessary to achieve a seal in vacuum, and speeds the process of taking a wafer, loading it into the lock, and making critical measurements relative to its surface and its circuitry. The design life for these semiconductor seals is 600,000 cycles at 40 PSIG, and a representative sample was factory tested to 1,000,000 cycles at 75 PSIG
