• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.5 no.1 s.14
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• pp.45-49
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• 2006

In this paper, a new method that monitors the quantity of particles using ion-counter in vacuum environment is introduced. In-situ particle monitoring (ISPM) system is composed by Gerdien type ion-counter (house-made), DC power supply and electrometer. The ion-counter applied by positive voltage detects only positive charged particles. Therefore the particles to be detected should be in known charge state for further data analysis. ion-counter is installed at the exhaust line of process equipment where the pressure loss is structurally low. ISPM system performance has been verified with SMPS (Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer) system. The correlation coefficient is above 0.98 at the particle size range of $20{\sim}300nm$ in diameter with identified charge distribution under $0.1{\sim}10.0$ Torr.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1359-1367
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• 2000

In-situ particle monitors(ISPMs) are widely used for monitoring contaminant particles in vacuum-based semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the present research, the performance of a Particle Measuring Systems(PMS) Vaculaz-2 ISPM at low pressures has been studied. We generated the uniform sized methylene blue particle beams using three identical aerodynamic lenses in the center of the vacuum line, and measured the detection efficiency of the ISPM. The effects of particle size, particle concentration, mass flow rate, system pressure, and arrangement of aerodynamic lenses on the detection efficiency of the ISPM were examined. Results show that the detection efficiency of the ISPM greatly depends on the mass flow rate, and the particle Stokes number. We also found that the optimum Stokes number ranges from 0.4 to 1.9 for the experimental conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1564-1570
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• 1998

In-situ particle monitors(ISPMs) are widely used for monitoring contaminant particles in vacuum-based semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the present research, the performance of a Particle Measuring Systems(PMS) Vaculaz-2 ISPM at subatmospheric pressures has been studied. We created uniform upstream conditions of particle concentration and measured the detection efficiency, the lower detection limit, and the size response of the ISPM using uniform sized methylene blue aerosol particles. The effect of particle size, particle velocity, particle concentration, and system pressure on the detection efficiency was examined. Results show that the detection efficiency of the ISPM decreases with decreasing chamber pressure, and with increasing mass flow rate. The lower detection limit of the ISPM, determined at 50 % of the measured maximum detection efficiency, was found to be about $0.15{\sim}0.2{\mu}m$, which is similar to the minimum detectable size of $0.17{\mu}$ given by the manufacturer.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-4
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• 2004

An experimental study was conducted on the optimal configuration and size of ADFL(Aerodynamic Focusing Lens) which used in modified ISPM(In-Situ Particle Monitoring). The particle counting efficiency has been known as a function of distance and size of ADFL, thus we varied these parameters to find out the optimum values. From a result of experiment, it was found that two lenses and 6mm space between them showed a maximum particle measuring efficiency. To apply this modified ISPM to semiconductor manufacturing field, we need more experiment about the pressure change, flow rate, and input particle size.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2023

Most of the production process is performed in a cleanroom in the case of facilities that produce semiconductor chips or display panels. Therefore, environmental management of cleanrooms is very important for product yield and quality control. Among them, airborne particles are a representative management item enough to be the standard for the actual cleanroom rating, and it is a part of the Fab or Facility monitoring system, and the sequential particle monitoring system is mainly used. However, this method has a problem in that measurement efficiency decreases as the length of the sampling tube increases. In addition, a statistically significant test of deterioration in efficiency has rarely been performed. Therefore, in this study, the statistically significant test between the number of particles measured by InSitu and the number of particles measured for each sampling tube ends(Remote). Through this, the efficiency degradation problem of the sequential particle monitoring system was confirmed by a statistical method.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the particle formation during the deposition of borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) and phosphosilicate glass (PSG) films in thermal chemical vapor deposition reactor using in-situ particle monitor (ISPM) and particle beam mass spectrometer (PBMS) which installed in the reactor exhaust line. The particle current and number count are monitored at set-up, stabilize, deposition, purge and pumping process step in real-time. The particle number distribution at stabilize step was measured using PBMS and compared with SEM image data. The PBMS and SEM analysis data shows the 110 nm and 80 nm of mode diameter for BPSG and PSG process, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2011

The diagnosis studies of the process of chemical vapor deposition were carried out by using in-situ particle monitor (ISPM) and self-plasma optical emission spectroscopy (SPOES). We used the two kinds of equipments such as the silicon plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system with silane gas and the borophosphosilicate glass depositon system for monitoring. Using two sensors, we tried to verify the diagnostic and in-situ sensing ability of by-product gases and contaminant particles at the deposition and cleaning steps. The processes were controlled as a function of precess temperature, operating pressure, plasma power, etc. and two sensors were installed at the exhaust line and contiguous with each other. the correlation of data (by-product species and particles) measured by sensors were also investigated.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2022

With a small particle size, specific surface area and chemical nature, Pd/Cu-Fe nanocomposites can efficiently remove the organic compounds. In order to understand the applicability for in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater, the degradation of p-nitrophenol by Pd/Cu-Fe nanoparticles was investigated. The degradation results demonstrated that these nanoparticles could effectively degrade p-nitrophenol and near 90% of degradation efficiency was achieved by Pd/Cu-Fe nanocomposites for 120 min treatment. The efficiency of degradation increased significantly when the Pd content increased from 0.05 wt.% and 0.10 wt.% to 0.20 wt.%. Meanwhile, the removal percentage of p-nitrophenol increased from 75.4% and 81.7% to 89.2% within 120 min. Studies on the kinetics of p-nitrophenol that reacts with Pd/Cu-Fe nanocomposites implied that their behaviors followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Furthermore, the batch experiment data suggested that some factors, including Pd/Cu-Fe availability, temperature, pH, different ions (SO42-, PO43-, NO3-) and humic acid content in water, also have significant impacts on p-nitrophenol degradation efficiency. The recyclability of the material was evaluated. The results showed that the Pd/Cu-Fe nanoparticles have good recycle performance, and after three cycles, the removal rate of p-nitrophenol is still more than 83%.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.53-63
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• 2017

As semiconductor process was highly integrated, particle contamination became a major issue. Because particle contamination is related with process yields directly, particles with a diameter larger than half pitch of gate should be controlled. PBMS (Particle beam mass spectrometry) is one of powerful nano particle measurement device. It can measure 5~500 nm particles at ~ 100 mtorr condition in real time by in-situ method. However its usage is restricted to research filed only, due to its big device volume and high price. Therefore aperture changeable aerodynamic lenses (ACALs) which can control particle focusing characteristics by changing its aperture diameter was proposed in this study. Unlike conventional aerodynamic lenses which changes particle focusing efficiency when operating condition is changed, ACALs can maintain particle focusing efficiency. Therefore, it can be used for a multi-monitoring system that connects one PBMS and several process chambers, which greatly improves the commercialization possibility of the PBMS. ACALs was designed based on Stokes number and evaluated by numerical method. Numerical analysis results showed aperture diameter changeable aerodynamic lenses can focus 5 to 100 nm standard particles at 0.1 to 10 torr upstream pressure.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.93-98
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• 2015

Particles which generated from plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) during thin film deposition process can affect to the process yield. By using light extinction method, ISPM can measure particles in the large-diameter pipe (${\leq}300mm$). In our research, in-situ particle monitor (ISPM) sensor was installed at the 300 mm diameter exhaust-line to count the particles in each size. In-house flange for mounting the transmitting and receiving parts of ISPM was carefully designed and installed at a certain point of exhaust line where no plasma light affect to the light extinction measurement. Measurement results of trend changes on particle count in each size can confirm that ISPM is suitable for real-time monitoring of vacuum process.