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cleaning, and die-bonding are typical- ly wet processing procedures. Yet, selecting the equipment to perform those procedures most efficiently and cost-effectively is often not a simple matter. In most cases, the users of wet processing equipment — whether for semiconductor, MEMS, biotech or other applications — can benefit sub- stantially from having industry design experts review and evaluate the entire process and recommend specific equip- ment solutions. Even among research and edu-


Selecting and Optimizing Wet Processing Equipment M


By Ed Sullivan


icrofabrication operations such as metal lift-off, strip- ping, etching, plating/coating,


usually a variation of one of these standards,” says Louise Bertagnolli, president of JST Manufacturing. A nationwide manufacturer of


manual and automated wet process- ing equipment, JST’s mechanical, electrical and chemical engineers


accessories, will be proposed. The equipment manufacturer should have the research and development engineers, facilities and experience to propose appropriate manual or automated process equipment plus necessary auxiliary equipment, such


She adds that most customers


are concerned about the tempera- tures and concentrations of chemi- cals — things that are going to mate- rially affect their processes — and how they are going to control those. “But at the design stage, there


cational applications where off-the- shelf, manual wet benches may be presumed as standard solutions, such applications can gain valuable flexibility, quality or safety though


Visiting a wet processing equipment manufacturer’s laboratory allows the process to be fine-tuned and tested onsite,


providing the best solution and avoiding equipment overkill.


relatively inexpensive customization of the apparatus design by the equip- ment manufacturer.


Don’t Reinvent the Wheel “So many wet processing equip-


ment designs and fabrications have been standard for some time and are


JST’s wet processing applications laboratory.


have many years of experience in industries including semiconductors, both silicon and compound, MEMS, photovoltaics, LEDs, flat panel dis- plays, and sensors. Bertagnolli says that to opti-


mize quality and throughput for a wet processing solution, it is advis- able to consider the process involved so that a qualified, objective recom- mendation, including the tools and


as chemical handling, automation and product fixturing.


A Close Look at Fixturing According to Bertagnolli, in


order to determine how a customer’s process will be finalized, one of the most important elements to consider is the customer’s fixturing, which are the devices that will hold or position the products being processed.


are also more fundamental decisions to be made, such as how the product in process should be transported to and from the wet processing tools and fix- turing most efficiently in the process baths,” Bertagnolli explains. “In some cases the products may be too heavy for workers to handle, so appropriate manual or automated transporting equipment must be selected. Also, the wet processing chemistry must be determined: How does the chemistry arrive at the tool, and how is the chemistry extracted safely?”


Optimizing in the Lab Before finalizing a wet process-


ing solution, visiting an equipment manufacturer with a well-equipped laboratory allows the process to be fine-tuned and tested onsite. This ensures that the best solution is proven, and that equipment overkill is avoided. “Advanced application labs


should be equipped with metrology equipment that offers real-time test- ing results to provide the data and technologies needed to optimize the process,” explains Bertagnolli. The applications lab also enables


users to control the optimization of multiple processes, and can minimize the amount of chemicals required or


Continued on page 61


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