INCREASE TOOL UPTIME AND PROCESS YIELDS

Watlow’s gas line heaters are designed to regulate temperatures in gas lines in order to prevent condensation in the gas line.

Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), boron trichloride (BCl3), aluminum chloride (AlCl3), chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) and dichlorosilane (DCS) are gases that condense or liquefy due to a phase shift at low temperatures. In semiconductor processes, the condensation occurs in the gas line and puddles in the shower head before being injected into the vacuum chamber. A substantial number of wafer defects will occur if liquefied gases are injected into the vacuum chamber. Uniform heating of the lines with gas line heaters will prevent condensation. TEOS lines are typically heated above 194°F (90°C) and BCl3 above 86°F (30°C), depending on pressure and flow rate. The optimum line temperature will vary depending on the process parameters.

• Easy to install two part system which conveniently fits on most gas line configurations
• Flexible heater design gives engineers the flexibility to easily customize the thermal profile for each gas line application and allows quick prototyping to determine energy distribution requirements for process improvement
• Flexible standard system components eliminates unnecessary lead times for custom designs

POLYIMIDE MATERIAL OFFERS STRENGTH, TEAR RESISTANCE AND STABILITY

Polyimide is a thin, lightweight organic polymer film which provides excellent tensile strength, tear resistance and dimensional stability. This heater is ideal for applications requiring low outgassing in a vacuum, or resistance to
radiation, fungus and chemicals. Polyimide is also solvent resistant.

• Excellent physical and electrical properties results in thermal stability over a wide temperature range
• Transparent polyimide material allows inspection of internal details
• Resistance of radiation and fungus allows it to be used in a wide range of applications