Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Industry Research Articles

Fluorinated MOF‐Based Hexafluoropropylene Nanotrap for Highly Efficient Purification of Octafluoropropane Electronic Specialty Gas

AbstractHigh‐purity octafluoropropane (C3F8) electronic specialty gas is a key chemical raw material in semiconductor and integrated circuit manufacturing industry, while selective removal of hexafluoropropylene (C3F6) impurity for C3F8 purification is essential but a challenging task. Here we report a fluorinated cage‐like MOF Zn‐bzc‐CF3 (bzc=5‐(trifluoromethyl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carboxylic acid) for C3F6/C3F8 separation. The incorporation of −CF3 groups not only provides suitable pore aperture size for highly efficient size‐exclusive C3F6/C3F8 separation, but also creates hydrophobic microenvironments, endowing Zn‐bz‐CF3 high chemical stability. Remarkably, Zn‐bzc‐CF3 exhibits high C3F6 adsorption capacity while excluding C3F8, achieving ideal molecular‐sieving C3F6/C3F8 separation. Breakthrough experiments show that Zn‐bzc‐CF3 can efficiently separate C3F6/C3F8 mixture and high‐purity C3F8 (99.9 %) can be obtained.

Fluorinated MOF-Based Hexafluoropropylene Nanotrap for Highly Efficient Purification of Octafluoropropane Electronic Specialty Gas.

High-purity octafluoropropane (C3F8) electronic specialty gas is a key chemical raw material in semiconductor and integrated circuit manufacturing industry, while selective removal of hexafluoropropylene (C3F6) impurity for C3F8 purification is essential but a challenging task. Here we report a fluorinated cage-like MOF Zn-bzc-CF3 (bzc=5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid) for C3F6/C3F8 separation. The incorporation of -CF3 groups not only provides suitable pore aperture size for highly efficient size-exclusive C3F6/C3F8 separation, but also creates hydrophobic microenvironments, endowing Zn-bz-CF3 high chemical stability. Remarkably, Zn-bzc-CF3 exhibits high C3F6 adsorption capacity while excluding C3F8, achieving ideal molecular-sieving C3F6/C3F8 separation. Breakthrough experiments show that Zn-bzc-CF3 can efficiently separate C3F6/C3F8 mixture and high-purity C3F8 (99.9 %) can be obtained.

Analysis and Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation and Upgrading of China’s Manufacturing Industry on Global Supply Chains

Abstract The profound impact of the digital transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry on the global supply chain forms the core of this analysis. This paper introduces a measurement model for assessing the manufacturing digital transformation and upgrading, which includes constructing an indicator system and calculating the weights of these indicators using the entropy value method. Subsequently, the raw data for each indicator are processed through the maximum-minimum value method. Furthermore, this study advances a global supply chain performance assessment SCOR model tailored to the specifics of manufacturing digital transformation and upgrading. It conducts a quantitative analysis of key indicators, typically challenging to quantify, thus deriving their numerical expressions and examining the effects of performance changes. In 2023, China’s comprehensive index for transformation and upgrading escalated to 83.84%, a significant increase from 6.78% in 1999. In a simulation experiment focusing on the integrated circuit manufacturing industry, the digital transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing sector is shown to enhance production inventory levels within the global supply chain and reduce delivery times. The Estimated Lead Time (ELT) service level improved by 5%, reaching 100%. At the same time, revenues and profits saw increments of approximately 44.66 million and 32.11 million US dollars, respectively, relative to scenarios absent of such digital advancements.

Effective Optimization Strategy for Electron Beam Lithography of Molecular Glass Negative Photoresist

AbstractAs the crucial dimension (CD) of logic circuits continues to shrink, the photoresist metrics, including resolution, line edge roughness, and sensitivity, are faced with significant challenges. Photoresists are indispensable in the integrated circuit manufacturing industry, and specifically in achieving smaller critical dimensions. In this study, the effects of two categories of photosensitive compounds on lithography performance are explored, through a series of sulfonium salt‐based photoacid generators (PAGs) with diverse reactivity and photodegradable nucleophiles (PDNs) with varying nucleophilicity. The detailed characterization and exposure experiments suggest that the reactive alterations of different PAGs are mostly associated with the amount of phenyl composed of cations in PAGs. The “PDN first, PAG second” strategy, which employs a combination of low reactivity PAG and high reactivity PDN and involves PDN decomposition first and PAG decomposition second in the electron beam lithography process, achieves high sensitivity (100–270 µC cm−2), high resolution (25 nm 1:1 line/space, L/S), and low line edge roughness (LER ≤ 3.3 nm) stripes. This approach outperforms conventional formulations and may provide a potentially effective and useful strategy to improve electron beam photoresists.

Synergistic effect of aminosilane and K2CO3 on improving Chemical Mechanical Polishing performance of SiO2 dielectric layer

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is a widely used surface treatment process in integrated circuit manufacturing for global planarization of the surface layers of various materials. The CMP slurry is regarded as one of the key determinants of planarization performance, considering the synergistic effect of its abrasive and other chemical components. As the component size is decreased to the molecular or even atomic scale, ways to achieve a high material removal rate of the SiO2 dielectric layer while maintaining high surface topography quality have become a challenge for the integrated circuit manufacturing industry. In this work, the synergistic effect of aminosilane and K2CO3 in the SiO2 CMP process was identified. A material removal rate of 248 nm/min and surface roughness of 0.374 nm was achieved under a pH of 11, SiO2 abrasive of 12 wt%, K2CO3 concentration of 0.12 M, and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) concentration of 60 ppm. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), it was found that APTES can be adsorbed on the surface of SiO2 film through chemical bonding. Further, it was proved by fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) that APTES could be combined with abrasive particles and coated on the surface of abrasive to realize the modification. The changes in particle size and zeta potential of the slurry were measured with a laser particle size analyzer. The studies suggested that under the influence of K2CO3, the hydration reaction on the SiO2 surface was intensified, the chemical bonding between APTES and the silanol (Si–OH) dangling bond on both surface of abrasive and SiO2 film was established, which enhanced the chemical reaction on the wafer surface. Finally, a material removal model of SiO2, characterized by the synergistic effect of APTES and K2CO3 was proposed based on the study.

Technology theme mining of integrated circuit manufacturing industry chain based on patents

Excavate and compare the technical themes of IC manufacturing industry chain of domestic and foreign patents, so as to objectively and comprehensively reveal the technical themes and differences of IC manufacturing in domestic and foreign, hoping to provide valuable reference for domestic IC manufacturing. Based on the integrated circuit manufacturing process, established the patent retrieval formula of each process and retrieved the patent data. Through TF-IDF algorithm and LDA model to mine the technical topics of domestic and foreign patents on the basis of self-built thesaurus and stop-words list, and summarized mining results. Through the analysis of results, it is found that the technical topics of integrated circuit manufacturing in domestic and foreign have similarities and differences, and the upper concept is strong, but the technical topics are more detailed of foreign patents.

Sectoral Divergence of Industrial Catch‐Up in China's Loosely Coupled System: A Comparative Study of FPD and IC Manufacturing Industries*

The flat panel display (FPD) and integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industries have similar intrinsic characteristics in terms of their technology. The Chinese central government also makes significant efforts to nurture them both as core industries of the electronics sector. However, the level of industrial catch‐up in the two sectors across recent years has varied greatly. What drives the divergent patterns of industrial catch‐up in FPD and IC manufacturing in China? This paper analyzes the divergent patterns of industrial catch‐up in FPD and IC manufacturing by examining the configurational effects of three main components: the central state's promotion of industry, technology regimes and market conditions, and corporate governance. The different sets of configurations explain why innovation occurs in some industries and not in others within China's loosely coupled system. This study argues that different arrangements in industrial policy, combined with technical regimes, market conditions, and corporate governance triggered a virtuous cycle in which organizational capabilities are strengthened in FPD industry, while the reverse occurs in the IC manufacturing industry. Incorporating configurational effects enriches the evolutionary perspective on catch‐up and allows for a comparison between the catch‐up conditions across multiple levels.

Shop floor control in the VLSI circuit manufacturing: a simulation approach and a case study

This paper introduces a new approach to design and model shop floor control techniques for wafer fabs in the very large-scale integrated circuit manufacturing industry. The new model suggests the scheduling system should be selected by considering the type of work centres – whether they are sequential or batch – and the relevance of set-up times and capacity utilisation rate. The proposed scheduling model has been tested via a simulation model of the existing system, and by using data coming from the field, which leads to consider real-life performance to be close to the output of the simulation campaign. The main results point out that the performance of batch work centres – even though they represent a reduced portion of the whole set of work centres – can remarkably affect the performance of the whole fab. In addition, relevant improvements in term of throughput rate and capital productivity can be obtained also at the shop floor level via slack-based dispatching procedures. Results are particularly appealing because they can be implemented in a very short period and without significant infrastructural investments.

A Method for Wafer Defect Detection Using Spatial Feature Points Guided Affine Iterative Closest Point Algorithm

In integrated circuit manufacturing industry, in order to meet the high demand of electronic products, wafers are designed to be smaller and smaller, which makes automatic wafer defect detection a great challenge. The existing wafer defect detection methods are mainly based on the precise segmentation of one single wafer, which relies on high-cost and complicated hardware instruments. The segmentation performance obtained is unstable because there are too many limitations brought by hardware implementations such as the camera location, the light source location, and the product location. To address this problem, in this paper, we propose a method for wafer defect detection. This novel method includes two phases, namely wafer segmentation and defect detection. In wafer segmentation phase, the target wafer image is segmented based on the affine iterative closest algorithm with spatial feature points guided (AICP-FP). In wafer defect detection phase, with the inherent characteristics of wafers, a simple and effective algorithm based on machine vision is proposed. The simulations demonstrate that, with these two phases, the higher accuracy and higher speed of wafer defect detection can be achieved at the same time. For real industrial system, this novel method can satisfy the real-time detection requirements of automatic production line.

Nonlinear Fault Detection Based on Fault-related Multiphase Principle Polynomial Analysis for Al Stack Etch Process

In integrated circuit manufacturing industry, etch process is a complex nonlinear batch process. Al stack etch is the penultimate layer of dry etch. Based on the specific steps of the recipe, it has the multiphase characteristic and the can exhibit significantly different behaviors over different phases. However, conventional fault detection methods cannot effectively monitor Al stack etch process due to nonlinear and multiphase characteristics. Moreover, they are usually modeled by normal process data. In Al stack etch process, fault process data can be obtained from the datalog of equipments. In order to utilize these data, a novel nonlinear fault detection method called fault-related multistage principal polynomial analysis (FMPPA) is proposed in this work. FMPPA is efficient to deal with nonlinearity of the multiphase batch process. Furthermore, it can make full use of fault data by decomposing original feature space into three subspaces. FMPPA is applied to monitoring the Al stack etch process. Simulation results demonstrate that FMPPA is superior to other methods.

Exploring the Technological Collaboration Characteristics of the Global Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Industry

With the intensification of international competition, there are many international technological collaborations in the integrated circuit manufacturing (ICM) industry. The importance of improving the level of international technological collaboration is becoming more and more prominent. Therefore, it is vital for a country, a region, or an institution to understand the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry and, thus, to know how to enhance its own international technological collaboration. This paper depicts the international technological collaboration characteristics of the ICM industry based on patent analysis. Four aspects, which include collaboration patterns, collaboration networks, collaboration institutions, and collaboration impacts, are analyzed by utilizing patent association analysis and social network analysis. The findings include the following: first, in regard to international technological collaboration, the USA has the highest level, while Germany has great potential for future development; second, Asia and Europe have already formed clusters, respectively, in the cooperative network; last, but not least, research institutions, colleges, and universities should also actively participate in international collaboration. In general, this study provides an objective reference for policy making, competitiveness, and sustainability in the ICM industry. The framework presented in this paper could be applied to examine other industrial international technological collaborations.

3PL selection criteria in integrated circuit manufacturing industry in Taiwan

Purpose– The purpose of this study was to identify the key third-party logistics (3PL) selection criteria for the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry in Taiwan. The IC manufacturing industry seeks global sourcing, and is facing increasing pressure due to fierce market competition. More than a cost reduction strategy, 3PL is a strategic tool for IC manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage in a global supply chain complex.Design/methodology/approach– The triangulation method that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the study. The qualitative approach of focus group discussions was adopted to establish the decision framework, and the quantitative approach of the analytic hierarchy process was used to explore the relative importance of the 3PL selection criteria. Finally, an in-depth proof-by-example interview was undertaken to provide an insightful interpretation of the research results.Findings– The research shows that performance is the most important criterion group, followed by cost, service, quality assurance, intangible and information technology. At the detailed sub-criteria level, document accuracy, problem-solving capability, continuous cost reduction, value-added services and associated cost control capability are the top five criteria.Research limitations/implications– This study focused on the IC manufacturing sector in Taiwan. Multi-country and multi-industry studies are recommended to help further validate and generalise the research findings.Originality/value– Due to its application of triangulation, this study is a pioneering work on the 3PL selection criteria in a high-tech manufacturing industry. Furthermore, the value of this research is that it enhances the body of knowledge of 3PL selection by identifying certain emerging selection criteria, it could serve as a guideline for IC manufacturers in planning logistics outsourcing actions and it could significantly contribute to the efforts of 3PL providers in evaluating whether they comply with customer needs and adhere to core competency development.

Connecting external knowledge usage and firm performance: An empirical analysis

Prior research suggests that firms create breakthrough innovations by using external knowledge, but it also underscores the difficulties firms face in acquiring and applying external knowledge. In this paper, we combine these insights to examine the conditions under which external knowledge usage will either enhance or erode firm performance. In particular, we argue that high external knowledge usage has a negative effect on performance when firms enter multiple new product markets, but a positive effect on performance when firms using external knowledge have higher absorptive capacity. We find general support for our hypotheses, which we test using patent citation data from the global integrated circuit manufacturing industry. Our findings have important implications for managers of firms making strategic decisions about their firms’ product portfolios and the degree to which they use external knowledge.

Improved Test Methodology for Production Testing of RF Switches Using a New Relative Measurement Technique

High-volume production testing using automatic test equipment (ATE) is an important part of the integrated circuit manufacturing industry, where it allows products to be rigorously characterized to ensure conformity with their data-sheet specifications. When used in production, the accuracy and repeatability of the ATE must itself be understood so that the final measurements are a true reflection of the underlying product performance and are not adversely influenced by variations or inaccuracies in the ATE setup. This paper reports on the application of the ATE to production testing of CMOS solid-state RF switches operating at 1 GHz and the steps that have been taken to remove sources of variation from the measurement setup. In particular, a calibration path based on the solid-state GaAs switches, which shares most of the RF signal path with the device under test (DUT), is described. The introduction of the calibration path reduces the variability of the measurement system by up to 60%, thus ensuring the suitability of the new setup for an ongoing high-volume production test.

Scheduling Integrated Circuit Assembly Operations on Die Bonder

Solving the integrated circuit (IC) assembly scheduling problem (ICASP) is a very challenging task in the IC manufacturing industry. In the IC assembly factories, the jobs are assigned processing priorities and are clustered by their product types, which must be processed on groups of identical parallel machines. Furthermore, the job processing time depends on the product type, and the machine setup time is sequentially dependent on the orders of jobs processed. Therefore, the ICASP is more difficult to solve than the classical parallel machine scheduling problem. In this paper, we describe the ICASP in detail and formulate the ICASP as in integer programing problem to minimize the total machine workload. An efficient heuristic algorithm is also proposed for solving large-scale problems.

Electron and ion optical design software for integrated circuit manufacturing equipment

This article describes methods for the computer aided design of electron and ion beam columns for the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry. The techniques described include computation of field distributions in electron lenses and deflectors, electron trajectories and aberrations, dynamic corrections, effects of discrete Coulomb interactions, design of electron guns, treatment of diffraction effects, optimization, and tolerancing of complete columns. These techniques are illustrated with examples relevant to the IC manufacturing industry, including systems for high-throughput electron beam lithography, nanolithography systems, and electron beam systems for inspection, metrology, and voltage testing.