Wet Benches
In the lab we have a total of 16 wet benches. They are divided into the following 8 types as listed in the following table of contents.
General Information
- Abandoned glassware will be collected and no returned
- Containers MUST be labeled with Chemical and User/Group name at all times.
- Another warning about safety gear
- Built-in Hotplate calibrations done weekly
Solvent Cleaning Benches
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About
The facility contains 4 stainless steel solvent benches for general processing using organic solvents. All solvent waste (except for certain chemicals that are collected) are poured into cups and centrally collected. The benches consist of 2 embedded variable power Crest-ultrasonic units, one kept at 70°C for heating resist strippers and the other kept at room temperature for general solvent work. Laminar flow fume hoods with hepa filtration. Nitrogen guns are also on both sides of the bench for drying samples. Digital stirring hotplates are included for heating and stirring of resist stripers only (No solvent heating). POLOS spin dryers are included in the benches. All processes are done in user-supplied glassware. Solvents are stored in large steel flammable materials cabinets. Two people may use the bench at a time and protective gear such as proper gloves must be used. Solvents supplied by the laboratory are: Acetone, Methanol, Isopropanol, MIBK, MEK, Toluene, EBR100. PR strippers supplied by the lab are: 1165 (NMP), AZ300T (NMP + TMAH), PRX-127. Other chemicals should be OK'd by laboratory staff prior to use in the laboratory.
Detailed Specifications
- 2 7" x 10" Crest Ultrasonic Tanks with heating / variable power
- 2 Nitrogen guns for sample drying
- Solvent based processing; NO SOLVENT HEATING
- Organic material removal up to 80°C
- Cyanide-based plating and etching (NO ACIDS at bench)
- Digital hot plate stirrers
- POLOS rinse dryers
Develop Benches
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About
The facility contains 3 polypropylene Developing Benches for photolithographic development using TMAH / TEAH / KOH based developers. All is actively neutralized. The benches consist of two sinks with DI water hook ups and industrial water plenum flushes. Laminar flow fume hoods with hepa filtration. Nitrogen guns are also on both sides of the bench for drying samples. Digital hotplates are included for resist post exposure bakes or post develop hard bakes. POLOS spray puddle develop etch systems are included in the benches. All processes are done in user-supplied glassware. Two people may use the bench at a time and protective gear such as proper gloves must be used. Developers supplied by the laboratory include: AZ300MIF (0.26N TMAH developer), MF701 (0.24N TMAH developer), AZ400K (KOH based developer), pre-diluted AZ400K:DI 1:4. Other developers should be OK'd by laboratory staff prior to use in the laboratory.
Detailed Specifications
- 2 Sinks, DI water
- 2 Nitrogen guns for sample drying
- NO SOLVENTS or STRIPPERS in bench
- Class 100
- Hot plates for post bakes
- POLOS Spray-Puddle-Develop-Rinse-Dry systems
Spin Coat Benches
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About
The facility contains 3 stainless steel solvent benches for photoresist spin coating.
The benches consist each of 2 integrated Headway PWM32 series photoresist spinners. Overhead and foot controls are provided. 8 preprogrammed recipes and 2 user-programmable recipes are offered. Automatic wafer lifting and centering stations are offered for spinning large wafers up to 8” in diameter.
6” or 8” Cee ultra-flat hotplates with 0.1°C temperature stability are preset for standard resist bake temperatures (90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115°C). Other user-changeable hot plates are also provided.
Nitrogen guns are also on both sides of the bench.
Large resist bottles are stored in a refrigerator amd small user bottles are stored by group in a ventilated steel cabinet. Waste pipets and resist soaked wipes are collected in containers on the fume-hood benches for disposal.
A list of stocked resists appears on the lithography processing web page. Other chemicals should be OK'd by laboratory staff prior to use in the laboratory.
Detailed Specifications
- Hepa filtered laminar flow for Class 100
- 2 Headway PWM32 spinners per bench, multi-step programming
- 8 preset spin programs, 2 user defineable
- Variety of user-removable wafer chucks for 5 mm x 5 mm pieces to 6” wafers
- Lifters for large wafer centering
- Manual dispense of resist with pipettes; particle filtering available
- Preset 0.1°C stable, ultra-flat hotplates
- Bay 6: 90, 95, 105, 110, 115°C
- Bay 7: 100, 135°C
- Proximity and Vacuum baking possible, optional lid closure
- Temperatures checked monthly, ±1°C. Please notify if temperature is out of spec.
- NO WAX on hotplates
- Use tin-foil to protect plate before using wax. Wax only allowed on user-variable hotplates.
- Other hotplates for user defined temperatures
Toxic Corrosive Benches
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About
The facility contains 2 polypropylene toxic corrosive benches for general wet processing using Acids and Bases. All waste (except for certain chemicals that are collected) are actively neutralized. The benches consist of two sinks with DI water hook ups and industrial water plenum flushes. Laminar flow fume hoods with hepa filtration. Nitrogen guns are also on both sides of the bench for drying samples. Digital stirring hotplates and/or small benchtop ultrasonic units are included for agitation and heating during the process on select benches. POLOS spin rinse dryers or spray puddle etch systems are included in the benches. Custom-built spray etchers (with bench supplied nitrogen) can also be used. Commonly used acids and bases such as H2O2, NH4OH, HCl, H2SO4, and H3PO4 can be dispensed into glassware using pipets connected to small bottles in the process wells at the back of the bench. All processes are done in user-supplied glassware. Acids and Bases are stored in separate cabinets and collection/disposal policies are posted. Two people may use the bench at a time and protective gear such as proper gloves must be used. Acids supplied by the laboratory are: H2SO4, HNO3, H3PO4, 1.0 M Citric Acid, Acetic Acid, HCl, Chrome mask etchant, Aluminum Etchants A and D, Gold Etchant (TFA), and Nickel Etchant (TFB). Bases supplied by the lab are: NH4OH, NaOH, KOH, and H2O2. Other chemicals should be OK'd by laboratory staff prior to use in the laboratory.
Detailed Specifications
- 2 Sinks, DI water
- 2 Nitrogen guns for sample drying
- Digital hot-plate stirrers
- Ultrasonic Baths
- NO SOLVENTS
- HF & TMAH NOT permitted at these benches
- POLOS Spray-Spin-Rinse systems
- Hepa Filtered Laminar Flow Hoods
Wafer Toxic Corrosive Benches
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About
This bench has vertical baths for processing multiple wafers at a time, and is situated opposite the Tystar Thermal Oxidation furnaces in order to perform the necessary cleaning of Silicon wafers prior to oxidation.
Please contact the supervisor for training on this bench, which includes use of the heater controllers, bubblers etc.
Spin-Rinse Dryers for automated DI water rinse and N2 Dry of full cassettes are located adjacent to this bench.
Detailed Specifications
- HF Bath, vertical
- NanoStrip bath, Vertical
- Heated Bath, typically 70°C during use.
- Quick-Dump-Rinse (QDR) bath, vertical
- Rapid DI water rinse of multiple wafers
- KOH bath, vertical
- Heated, Typically ~80-90°C during Silicon etching.
- Covered for water recapture
- N2 Bubbler for improved etch uniformity
- Up to 9 wafers at a time
- TMAH Bath, Vertical
- Numerous wafer holders and custom cassette sizes stored at the bench for general use.
HF/TMAH Processing Bench
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NOTE: Proper safety gear must be worn at all times when using the Acid Benches. For the HF benches this includes an apron and face shield. Failure to abide by this rule will result in immediate suspension from the lab. NO WARNINGS. PERIOD.
About
Detailed Specifications
- 2 Sinks, DI water
- 2 Nitrogen guns for sample drying
- Digital hot-plate stirrers
- Ultrasonic Baths
- NO SOLVENTS
- HF Processing limited to these two benches
- POLOS Spray-Spin-Rinse systems
- Hepa Filtered Laminar Flow Hoods
Plating Bench
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About
Custom plating may be performed at this bench. Please contact staff for more info and for allowed chemicals.
Detailed Specifications
To Be Added
Automated Wet-processing Spinners (POLOS)
General Information
The POLOS spinners, installed on various Solvent, Acid/Base and Develop benches, allow for wafer spinning while applying wet chemistry. Users may program the spinners with custom programs.
Develop Bench POLOS Spinners
These POLOS spinners are hooked up to pressurized vessels for developer chemicals, and have closed lids with nozzles for fluid/nitrogen delivery. This enables automated spray/puddle developing. In addition, users can spin-drying after manual development. - especially helpful for larger wafers (eg. 100mm) which are more difficult to dry by hand.
Solvent Bench POLOS Spinners
These spinners are uncovered, allowing users to use our solvent squirt bottles & nitrogen guns for cleaning samples while spinning, which improves wafer cleanliness considerably. Several non-contact chucks for 100mm and 150mm wafers are available, which makes solvent cleaning the underside of these wafers especially useful and effective, without affecting any top-side photoresist, lithography or patterning.
Acid/Base/HF Bench POLOS Spinners
To be Added