Ultrapure Water Filtration Control for Hydrogen Peroxide Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrapure water production systems for semiconductor processing struggle to effectively control hydrogen peroxide concentrations and extend the lifespan of anion polishers, while also preventing damage to substrates during the fabrication process.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a front filtering part followed by a rear filtering part with an ultraviolet (UV) irradiator to remove organic materials, an anion polisher to remove hydrogen peroxide, and detectors to measure hydrogen peroxide and dissolved oxygen concentrations, allowing for real-time control and reduction of these substances to prevent substrate damage and extend anion polisher lifetime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UV irradiator is operated at high intensity to remove organic materials, then the removal efficiency of organic materials is improved, but the concentration of hydrogen peroxide generated increases causing substrate damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a hydrogen peroxide detector to continuously monitor the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the fluid. The controller receives this detection signal and adjusts the UV irradiator's operation accordingly, reducing UV intensity when hydrogen peroxide concentration exceeds a predetermined threshold. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that organic material removal efficiency is maintained while preventing excessive hydrogen peroxide generation that could damage substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the operational parameters of the UV irradiator based on real-time hydrogen peroxide concentration measurements. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration rises above the threshold, the controller reduces the UV irradiation intensity or duty cycle, thereby controlling the rate of hydrogen peroxide generation. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by optimizing UV operation to balance organic removal with hydrogen peroxide control.
2Reliability
If the anion polisher is operated continuously at high capacity to remove hydrogen peroxide, then the hydrogen peroxide concentration is controlled effectively, but the lifetime of the anion polisher decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous high-capacity operation, the anion polisher operates periodically based on the hydrogen peroxide concentration detected by the sensor. The controller activates the anion polisher only when hydrogen peroxide concentration exceeds the predetermined threshold, and deactivates it when the concentration is within acceptable limits. This periodic operation maintains effective hydrogen peroxide control while significantly reducing the cumulative workload and extending the anion polisher's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the hydrogen peroxide detector and controller to automatically manage the anion polisher's operation without requiring continuous manual intervention or over-engineering of the polisher's capacity. The detection-system provides self-regulating control, activating the anion polisher only when needed, thereby optimizing its utilization and extending its operational lifetime while maintaining water quality standards.
3Reliability
If the filtration system is designed with high capacity to handle all impurities, then the ultrapure water quality is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration system is segmented into distinct functional stages: a front filtering part for removing bulk impurities and organic materials, and a rear filtering part with anion polisher for specific hydrogen peroxide removal. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function rather than requiring one oversized complex system to handle all impurity types, thereby maintaining ultrapure water quality while reducing overall system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogen peroxide detector acts as an intermediary between the UV irradiator and the anion polisher, enabling intelligent coordination between these components. By monitoring hydrogen peroxide concentration and signaling the anion polisher only when necessary, the detector prevents unnecessary operation of the polisher and avoids the need for oversized filtration capacity, thus maintaining water quality while simplifying the overall system design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables flexible control of hydrogen peroxide concentrations, reduces substrate damage, and increases the lifespan of anion polishers by minimizing their workload, thereby enhancing manufacturing yield and system efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an ultraviolet (UV) irradiator configured to irradiate a UV ray onto the fluid to remove an organic material from the fluid
Implementation Method 2
an anion polisher (ANP) configured to remove hydrogen peroxide from the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are ultrapure water production systems, semiconductor processing systems, and semiconductor fabrication methods. An ultrapure water production system may include a front filtering part that filters a fluid and a rear filtering part that filters the fluid released from the front filtering part. The rear filtering part may include a UV irradiator that irradiates a UV ray to the fluid to remove an organic material from the fluid, an ANP that removes hydrogen peroxide from the fluid released from the UV irradiator, a connection line that connects the UV irradiator to the ANP, a hydrogen peroxide detector that is on the connection line and detects a concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the fluid released from the UV irradiator, and a DO detector between the hydrogen peroxide detector and the ANP to measure a concentration of dissolved oxygen in the fluid released from the UV irradiator.