Rorze Shutter Type N2 Purge Load Port (Patent Pending)

Suresh Biligiri,Vice President, Rorze Automation Inc.

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Problem with conventional N2 purge LP

As is evident from the smoke test image below, When FOUP door is open

FFU air will move in to FOUP even with N2 purge

To prevent/minimize the flow from FFU in to FOUP, it will require very high flow

rate of N2 purge in FOUP

In addition, during wafer load and unload, wafer being handled, acts as a guide

directing FFU air in to open FOUP

This makes it difficult to attain humidity better than an average of 30% RH

In addition during load/unload humidity spikes in FOUP environment

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Introduction:

Designed to have least exposure of wafers to ambient air even with FOUP

door open while consuming less than a third to half the volume of N2

compared to traditional LP

Rorze has substantial installed base of the patent pending Nitrogen

purged bare wafer stocker (BWS) that has shown excellent results in

managing oxide growth over weeks of storage

Rorze has adapted this patent pending technology to develop highly

efficient Nitrogen purge type loadport and able to maintain lowest

oxygen and moisture exposure to wafers on any tool, while in process

Conventional N2 LP does not meet needs of advanced process nodes

effectively

They offers at best, an average of 30% humidity environment while Rorze

patented LP can provide below 5%

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Introduction (Continued):

The Rorze shutter type N2 purge LP is available in two configurations

With bottom purge and can use any available N2 purge FOUP’s

With front purge, that can purge a normal FOUP without purge

capabilities

When purging is required on process tool only

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Rorze N2 Purge LP

This is standard BOLTS Compatible module

Can be installed on any existing EFEM (need to communicate load/unload slot position to LP)

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Sequence

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Sequence Interchangeable with any standard

BOLTS compatible Loadport.

No change in Robot sweep diameter or EFEM area required. Existing robot can access wafers in FOUP.

EFEM software should communicate the slot number for load unload sequence.

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Test Conditions

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Rorze N2 Purge LP Test Condition

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FOUP used: Entegris Spectra with snorkelTM *

* Sonrkle is a Trade Mark of Entegris

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Humidity data during wafer load/unload(Conventional bottom N2 purge LP with Snorkel* FOUP)

* Sonrkle is a Trade Mark of Entegris

Wafer Transfers

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Humidity data during wafer load/unload(Rorze Shutter type LP With SnorkleTM FOUP )

> 60% N2

savings

Min:400～500ppm

Door Close:2%0.1～１%

Wafer Access

Oxyg

en

(P

PM

)

N2 Flow :Load/Unload : 200L/min

Shutter Open : 60L/min

Shutter Close : 30L/min

Shutter type N2 LP O2 performance

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FFU flow moving in to FOUPShutter on Rorze LP blocks

FFU flow in to FOUP

Airflow Visualization With Smoke Test

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Shutter type N2 LP Particle performance (PWP)

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Acknowledgements:

Katsushi Sakata, Director of Engineering, Rorze Corporation

SEMI

Solid State Technology

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Thank You