Cubic Gas Monitoring Solutions for Semiconductor Manufacturing

Semiconductor manufacturing is a complex process with three main stages: upstream (materials and equipment), midstream (wafer production), and downstream (packaging and testing). It starts with refining raw silicon into high-purity material, which is formed into monocrystalline ingots and sliced into thin wafers. During this stage, environmental air quality monitoring is critical to control particulates and maintain clean conditions for wafer production.

In the midstream phase, wafers go through oxidation, photolithography, etching, ion implantation, deposition, metallization and CMP  to build the circuits and form the required semiconductor structures. The processes involve the use of specialty gases and chemicals, therefore manufacturers are required to monitor process parameters. Environmental monitoring also continues to be important at this stage to support cleanroom standard.

In the downstream stage, the processed wafers are diced into individual chips, packaged, and tested to ensure performance and reliability before delivery. During this phase, workers may be exposed to hazardous or flammable gases used in cleaning, sealing, and packaging operations. As a result, safety monitoring becomes a top priority to protect personnel and equipment, and to comply with stringent industry safety regulations.

Throughout the manufacturing processes, Cubic provides sensing solutions in  three dimensions: Environmental Air Quality Monitoring (A); Process Quality Monitoring (B); Safety Production Monitoring (C). The three dimensions of solutions intersect and co-exist at different steps throughout the semiconductor production process.

Air quality monitoring is needed throughout from materials preparation and wafer production to etching and IC packaging in order to keep cleanroom conditions stable. Process quality monitoring is important during equipment operation, photolithography, and packaging to ensure consistent performance. Safety monitoring is used during materials handling, equipment use, deposition processes like CVD, and IC testing to detect dangerous conditions. The three dimensions of monitoring support each other to maintain environmental quality, process reliability, and production safety across the entire manufacturing process.

Environmental air quality monitoring is key to semiconductor manufacturing, as tiny particles can damage wafers and lower yield. Cleanrooms help control contaminants and follow ISO 14644 standards for classification levels. Cubic supports cleanroom control with real-time detection of particles, humidity, and temperature to keep environmental conditions stable.

Cubic’s process quality monitoring solution detects trace moisture, trace oxygen, and other key gases including tungsten hexafluoride and silicon tetrafluoride, used in deposition and etching. Real-time monitoring helps improve process stability and quality.

Dangerous and flammable gases are commonly used. Any leaks or spills can harm workers, damage equipment, and interrupt production. Continuous gas monitoring helps detect problems early, allowing quick action to reduce risks. Cubic's Safety production monitoring solution provides accurate, real-time gas detection that improves safety, and helps keep manufacturing operations stable.