Microelectronics
Lithium Battery Manufacturing For Automotive Use and the Associated Manufacturing Facility Requirements
By Tim Loughran
Applying what we have learned in the Pharma, BSL, and Semiconductor Industries, and incorporating Dry Room design experience from industry, gives us a strong base of knowledge to deliver a cost effective facility for Lithium Ion Battery manufacturing.
Cleanrooms and Energy
By Barbara Kanegsberg, Ed Kanegsberg
Cleanrooms are expensive, and energy consumption is a major cost item in operation and maintenance.
PTFE Fluid Handling Components Support Semiconductor Enhancements
By Paul Hooge
When processed correctly, PTFE easily meets increasing fluid handling requirements in the semiconductor industry.
Water Under The Bridge -- In Process Monitoring, Part 2
By Barbara Kanegsberg, Ed Kanegsberg
Manufacturing problems can lead to large costs of rework or can result in product becoming scrap. Immediate detection of problems is a key to increasing productivity and decreasing costs.
Future Requirements Demand Improved Contamination Control
By Wolfgang Eißler, Roland Grözinger
Upgrading an immersion scanner manufacturing facility for increased cleanliness
Great Clean Manufacturing Bloopers of All Time, Act 2
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
This is the second and final act of an article published several years ago on unforgettable clean manufacturing stories.
Great Clean Manufacturing Bloopers of All Time, Act I
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
Some time ago, I participated in an article on unforgettable clean manufacturing stories. I was joined by contributors Ken Goldstein, Lise Laurin, and Scott Mackler who generously offered tales of mishaps and snafus they had witnessed over their careers.
Thinking Outside The Box (Or At Least Outside The SEM)
By Ed Kanegsberg, Barbara Kanegsberg
Most manufacturers have access to SEM/EDX; and it provides useful information. However, sometimes we expect more from SEM/EDX than the technique is capable of providing, such as molecular identification of a specific organic residue.
Are We There Yet? Monitoring Contamination With IMS
By Ed Kanegsberg, Barbara Kanegsberg
To monitor surface cleanliness, manufacturers desire a technique that yields results quickly, has a low recurring cost, identifies the presence of a specific contaminant, can detect low levels, and is quantitative.
Ultrasonics: Cleaning ? Surface Modification? Both?
By Ed Kanegsberg, Barbara Kanegsberg
"What do you mean by plasma cleaning?" Bill Moffat, CEO of Yield Engineering Systems, Inc. in Livermore, CA, a manufacturer of plasma cleaning systems, poses this reasonable question.
Yield Enhancement with Diffuser Technology
By Marshall Randolph, Chris Vroman, Chris Quartaro
Advanced diffuser technology helps reduce vent-up times while maintaining wafer integrity on vacuum tools loadlock chambers.
The CSI Effect—And Some Light Summer Reading
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
Despite the many similarities between clean manufacturing and forensics, at least three differences distinguish the work done in those fields.
Are The Cleaning Agents Clean Enough, Part II: Water
By Ed Kanegsberg, Barbara Kanegsberg
Water is the most common cleaning solvent for manufacturing processes. Water purity determines the quality of the final product. However, selecting the appropriate water for the application may not be readily apparent.
Eight Great Things Manufacturing Engineers Must Know About Leak Testing Equipment
By David Rizzo, D.P.M.
Must quality engineers and product managers always be at odds? The former seeks perfection while the latter pushes for greater throughput.
Powder Metallurgy: Problems of an Economically Friendly Technology
By Dr. D.D. Radev
This article is devoted to powder metallurgy (PM) and the peculiarities of that branch of materials science. The technological and economical advantages of PM methods compared with traditional metallurgical processes for production of metal products are discussed.
Minimizing Viable and Non-Viable Contamination: Standards and Guidelines For Medical Device Manufacturers
By John Broad, Barbara Kanegsberg
Controlling both viable and non-viable contamination is essential to medical device performance and reliability. As the complexity of device design increases, so does the process of assuring that viable and non-viable contamination is controlled during manufacturing.
Must It Rust? Part III
By Barbara Kanegsberg, Ed Kanegsberg
Too frequently, the first sign of corrosion is visual detection by the technician or even the customer. This unfortunate happenstance occurs across the board, from consumer products to critical components.
Must It Rust? Part II: Microbial-induced Corrosion
By Barbara Kanegsberg, Ed Kanegsberg
Microbial-induced corrosion (MIC) is recognized as a significant problem in the pharmaceutical and food processing industries and is a potential problem in other critical component or device manufacture.
From The Editor
By Barbara VanRenterghem, Ph.D.
Traditionally, we looked at the cleanroom as the controlled environment: a place to manufacture drugs, computer chips, and medical devices.
Case Study: CMP Slurry Savings Using Precise Flow Control
By David Rendell, David Albrecht
A significant effort is underway in the semiconductor industry to reduce operational costs. The challenge is two-fold in that, on one hand, a reduction in expenses is desired and, on the other hand, an increase in process efficiency is also desired.
Effective Cleaning Methods and Best Practices of Synthetic Industrial Diamond
By Ron Abramshe, Ph.D., Ron Abramshe
Synthetic diamond is used as a super abrasive in many industries from electronics to medical applications. These industries as well as others require cleanliness of the base product as paramount to a quality end product.
What Heisenberg & Kesey Knew About Critical Cleaning
By John B. Durkee, Ph.D., P.E.
This column is about the philosophy of cleaning. It's about the "philosophical laws" behind cleaning. It's about how those laws describe all the cleaning work that we do. And it's about why you would want to know them.
Methods and Devices For Delivery of Ultra High Purity Steam
By Jeffrey Spiegelman
Use and generation of UHP steam has become widespread and has applications in critical processes in diverse markets.
Contamination Control For Ultra-Pure Water For The Emerging Applications in Immersion Lithography
By Michael E. Clarke, Annie Xia, Bipin Parekh, Joseph Smith
Optical lithography is a key technology to improving resolution.
Control Purity Is High Priority In Laser Processing
By Richard Green
Paying attention to manufacturers’specifications can improve your lasers effectiveness and save you money.