Akrion Expands Single-Wafer Velocity Platform
Allentown, PA. - Akrion, Inc. recently completed development work on an extension to its Velocity single-wafer cleaning system.
The company now offers two versions of the platform: Velocity4 and Velocity6. Both are designed with high productivity in mind. Velocity4 utilizes three FOUPS and four chambers for throughputs of up to 150 wafers per hour while the slightly larger Velocity6 has four FOUPS, six chambers and throughputs of up to 220 wafers per hour.
Velocity's patented stacked process chambers result in minimal footprint and both versions offer full 300mm factory automation compliance and a wide range of technologies devised for advanced FEOL and BEOL cleaning applications. Available subsystems include: patented Goldfinger megasonics, JetStream and JetStream-Nano spray technology, as well as Sahara and Sahara-HT surface-tension-gradient dryers.
Goldfinger XP megasonics utilize dynamic power and frequency tuning as well as proprietary electronic controls to manage advanced performance on delicate high aspect ratio structures and materials. Responding to the same performance/damage concern, Akrion's new JetStream-Nano spray technology cleans with ultra-fine aerosol droplets of water and/or chemicals. The Sahara dryers are designed to dry without watermarks. The new version, Sahara-HT, uses proprietary technology for hydrogen terminated wafer surface conditioning.
Akrion's single-wafer system is designed to reduce CD loss compared to any other wet clean tool on the market. Akrion's single wafer cleaning technology is focused on providing controlled physical force technologies to assist ultra diluted chemicals in cleaning without damage and with minimal etching of the device.
Other new technologies used on Velocity include "fast swap" dual end effectors that allow dual wafer picks from SEMI standard FOUPS with swap times of less than 3 seconds and micro-chemical dispense which uses as little as 50ml of chemical per 300mm wafer to reduce cost of ownership.
SOURCE: Akrion, Inc.