Bench Talk

Ensuring Contamination-Free Environments While Maintaining Operational Efficiency with Sensirion Mass Flow Controllers

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Gas purging is a critical process across numerous industries, as it is required to ensure contamination-free environments and improve product quality while maintaining operational efficiency. In this blog, we detail what makes gas purging an essential process in semiconductor and industrial applications, as well as explore digital mass flow controllers well-suited for a wide range of applications requiring precise control of inert gas flow.

Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Costs

The precision and repeatability of Sensirion’s MFC offerings help manufacturers reduce gas consumption, minimize downtime, increase throughput, and enhance process stability. In gas purging applications, maintaining a consistent flow rate ensures that nitrogen and other purge gases are used efficiently, cutting operational costs while maintaining the required purity levels.

Industrial Applications for Sensirion MFCs

The efficiency and cost benefits of Sensirion MFCs have implications for several semiconductor and industrial applications that require precise control of inert gas flow. Some examples include:

• Welding and soldering: Provide controlled gas flow to prevent oxidation and ensure high-quality joints in industrial welding processes.
• Laser cutting and additive manufacturing: Maintain precise inert gas flow to protect materials from oxidation and ensure clean cuts or smooth layer deposition.
• Food and beverage packaging: Control nitrogen flow for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to extend product shelf life.
• Gas chromatography: Regulate carrier gas flow with high accuracy for analytical instruments (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Gas chromatography is a highly precise method of regulating carrier gas flow for analytical instruments, and with MFCs, this process becomes even more precise with enhanced flow control. (Source: Sensirion)

The Role of Gas Purging in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Gas purging is the process of displacing unwanted gases or contaminants with an inert gas, typically nitrogen (N₂), to provide ultra-clean environments essential for semiconductor fabrication. Some key applications include:

• Wafer Storage Purging: Ensuring wafers remain uncontaminated by maintaining a controlled nitrogen environment in front opening unified pods (FOUPs) and storage chambers.
• Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD): Precisely controlling gas flows during deposition cycles to create uniform and defect-free thin films. Notably, ALD is also used in battery manufacturing, where it plays a role in improving the performance and longevity of battery components.
• Process Chamber Cleaning: Purging residual reactive gases from etching and deposition chambers to prevent cross-contamination and extend equipment longevity.

Why Sensirion’s Mass Flow Controllers Excel in Gas Purging

Sensirion’s mass flow controllers (MFCs), including the SFC5500 and the new SFC6000D (Figure 2), offer superior accuracy, fast response times, digital multi-gas calibration, flexible configurations, and support for industry-standard communication interfaces in a compact design. These capabilities make Sensirion’s MFCs an ideal choice for a wide range of semiconductor and industrial applications that require optimal gas purging for enhanced performance.

Figure 2 Sensirion SFC5500 (left) and SFC6000D (right) MFCs provide digital multi-gas calibration with high accuracy and fast response times in flexible configurations, making them well-suited for a wide range of industrial applications. (Source: Mouser Electronics)

Let’s explore the capabilities of these MFCs in more detail.

Precision and Stability

Sensirion’s SFC5500 and SFC6000D MFCs utilize CMOSens^® technology, integrating sensing, signal processing, and control electronics on a single chip. This results in ultra-fast response times and high accuracy, ensuring that the correct amount of gas is delivered for purging applications without waste or fluctuations.

Digital Multi-Gas Calibration

Unlike traditional analog MFCs, Sensirion’s digital controllers support multi-gas calibration, allowing users to switch between different gases without requiring recalibration. This flexibility is crucial for semiconductor and industrial applications where different inert gases (e.g., N₂, Ar, H₂) are used in various stages of the manufacturing process.

Flexibility in Configuration

Sensirion’s SFC5500 and SFM6000D offer adaptable configurations. When equipped with a valve, they function as mass flow controllers, and without a valve, they serve as flow meters. This versatility provides cost-effective solutions for applications like N₂ purging for FOUPs and wafer storage, where high precision is not as demanding, but efficiency and affordability are key.

Best-in-Class Response Time

Sensirion’s MEMS-based sensors offer the fastest response time in the market, making them ideal for applications requiring rapid and precise gas control, such as ALD. This ensures uniform layer deposition and improved process reliability.

Compact Design with High Performance

Space is often a constraint in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The SFC6000D, for example, offers high flow control performance in a compact footprint, making it suitable for integration into process tools and wafer storage systems.

Industry-Ready Communication Interfaces

Sensirion MFCs are equipped with industry-standard RS485 and Modbus RTU (for Sensirion’s OEM versions) communication interfaces, allowing seamless integration with semiconductor manufacturing equipment and process control systems.

Conclusion

Gas purging is an essential process in semiconductor and industrial applications, and achieving optimal efficiency and precision requires advanced flow control technology. Sensirion’s SFC5500 and SFC6000D MFCs stand out as a reliable and cutting-edge option. These MFCs provide exceptional accuracy, fast response times, and digital multi-gas capabilities, making them the ideal choice for gas purging applications.

Author

José Palha is the Market Manager for the Semiconductor Industry at Sensirion, where he leads sales and business development efforts to expand the company’s footprint in this strategic sector. With a background in electrical engineering, an MBA, and several years of experience in the semiconductor industry, José brings both technical expertise and commercial acumen to his role. Over the past two years, he has focused on strengthening relationships with existing partners while actively seeking new opportunities to drive growth and innovation.