Dry Vacuum Pumps and Liquid Pumps for the Semiconductor Industry
KNF offers state-of-the-art oil-free vacuum pumps and liquid pumps that meet the demanding standards of the semiconductor industry.
Few industries consistently push the boundaries of what is physically possible like the semiconductor industry. For decades, it has delivered one breakthrough after another, increasing the computational power of microchips while enabling ever greater miniaturization. To continue this quest for innovation, the semiconductor industry relies on cutting-edge technologies from a variety of disciplines, including pump technology. KNF is proud to support this innovative industry with state-of-the-art diaphragm pump technology and unique customized solutions.
Why Pumps Are Essential for Semiconductor Manufacturing
The semiconductor industry operates at physical extremes and requires multiple production steps to achieve extraordinary results. This includes the use of various challenging fluids such as ultrapure water, highly sensitive inks for masking, aggressive acids for etching, strong solvents for cleaning, and gases such as argon, neon, or xenon. In addition to the need to transfer these fluids, many of these process steps require very high vacuum levels making the use of vacuum pumps necessary as well.
All of these tasks require pumps with outstanding reliability, cleanliness, robustness, performance and many more, such as chemical compatibility, compactness or low vibration. Because of these demanding requirements, diaphragm pumps are the technology of choice for a variety of tasks in the semiconductor industry.
The Right Pump for Every Step of the Manufacturing Process
KNF pumps are used throughout the semiconductor manufacturing process. This starts with wafer production, where our pumps are used for handling silicon wafers. In the subsequent production steps, our pumps are used for recirculating, degassing and applying the liquids used in the photolithographic processes, as well as gas pumps for transferring the excimer required for the special lasers used in the photochemical processes.
During the etching process, liquid pumps are needed to handle ultrapure water and the aggressive acids used. Quality control is critical to most processes in the semiconductor industry, including media and air control. KNF offers pump solutions for all types of gas and liquid applications, as well as clean room monitoring technologies.
Dry Vacuum Pumps Are Essential for Semiconductor Manufacturing
Operating at the forefront of miniaturization, the semiconductor industry relies heavily on extreme precision throughout the manufacturing process. One way to achieve this precision is to eliminate all contaminants from the manufacturing process. This requires many processes to be performed under clean room or even ultra-high vacuum conditions. To create an ultra-high vacuum, a positive displacement pump such as a diaphragm pump is typically used to create a deep vacuum, which can then be further evacuated by a turbomolecular pump and sometimes an ion getter pump.
Areas That Benefit From Our Diaphragm Pump Technology
Since oil and other lubricants would contaminate these environments, vacuum pumps used in the semiconductor industry must run completely dry. To avoid contamination as well as performance and media loss, these pumps also need to provide minimal leak rates. In addition, because semiconductor manufacturers operate very expensive, complex and space restricted machinery, the pumps also need to be digitally controllable, compact, extremely reliable and long lasting.
In addition to running completely dry, diaphragm pumps can start against vacuum, and most diaphragm pumps can run indefinitely at maximum vacuum without overheating. They are also gas-tight, robust and reliable, requiring little or no maintenance. With KNF diaphragm pumps, customers also have the choice of modern brushless DC motors, which can be parametrized individually and offer precise digital control.
The semiconductor industry also uses a number of different gases in its processes. In particular, lithography processes require inert gases for operating special lasers. These lasers are filled with gases such as argon, neon or xenon. Since these gases are costly, reusing them is an effective way to reduce operating costs. Diaphragm pumps are the ideal compressors for this purpose. They do not contaminate the gases and, more importantly, they are gas-tight, which minimizes media loss and therefore costs.
From start to finish, the semiconductor manufacturing process uses a wide range of liquids for many different purposes. Depending on the step in the process, the liquids present different challenges and require specialized pumps that meet different requirements. Some liquids, like hydrochloric acid used for etching, must be pumped with chemically resistant equipment.
Other liquids, such as special UV inks or conductive inks, are extremely sensitive and must be ultra-pure, requiring special pump materials that are completely inert and do not alter the media’s properties. Even pumps for seemingly simple tasks like the aspiration of ultrapure water used during the etching process, face extraordinary demands like years of reliable and maintenance-free operation.
Almost all semiconductor manufacturing processes involving liquids benefit from the advantages that diaphragm pumps offer over other pump types. Their leak-tightness by design is important for handling both aggressive and sensitive media. While hazardous media must not leak into the environment, it is also critical that sensitive media is not contaminated. Another advantage is that the self-priming, dry-run-safe liquid diaphragm pumps are easy to operate and very durable. This is a key advantage because many liquid pumps must operate reliably for several years, as unplanned downtime is extremely costly and therefore unacceptable in the semiconductor industry.
All KNF liquid diaphragm pumps can be customized flexibly, economically and quickly with many options for motors, pump materials, mechanical parts, electrical and hydraulic connections, as well as digital customization options for advanced controllability. In this way, KNF can provide highly individualized solutions from batch size one.
KNF Smooth Flow Technology Paves the Way for Diaphragm Pumps in Semiconductor Applications
For applications that require very low levels of pulsation, KNF offers special Smooth Flow pumps that reduce pulsation to an absolute minimum. This allows KNF technology to be used in areas where conventional diaphragm pumps would generate too much pulsation. Especially ink transfer systems benefit greatly from these properties, since many inks are sensitive or challenging to other pump technologies due to their abrasiveness as it is the case with many conductive inks.
How OEMs and Semiconductor Manufacturers Benefit From Customized KNF Pumps
While many systems for the semiconductor industry are manufactured by OEMs, the semiconductor industry also uses its own pumps. With a global network of Sales Centers and our broad and deep application knowledge, KNF is proud to offer state-of-the-art diaphragm pump technology to both OEMs and semiconductor manufacturers.
Using a unique modular design approach, KNF can quickly, reliably and cost-effectively tailor pumps to the specific needs of an application, from batch size one on up. In addition to the above-mentioned customization options, we are capable to customize pumps to the extent of the physical possible in close collaboration with our customers, resulting in innovative and perfectly fitting pump technology and partnerships that often last for decades.
