SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project concerns Ultrapure Water (UPW), the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry. The proposed instrument seeks to satisfy the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) requirements on two counts: 1. full flow inspections, 2. detection of sub-100nm liquid-borne particles. A typical semiconductor fab uses about 3 million gallons of UPW every day. To control operating costs and ensure sustainable growth, ITRS specifies that 70% of the UPW used in 2005 be recycled or reused (90% by 2010). As a UPW quality monitor fast enough to truly be an in-line, real-time particle detector of an entire DI water stream at the ultimate (50 nm and below) level of particulate purity, the Acoustic Coaxing Induced Microcavitation (ACIM) Particle Scout will enable these ITRS objectives for recycling UPW. The proposed ACIM Particle Scout is designed to meet important financial (operating costs) and quality (sub-100nm precision) needs of the Semiconductor industry. Beyond the IC manufacturing industry the Particle Scout will find applications in all UPW-intensive enterprises: nuclear reactors and other power generators, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, space exploration, and processing of advanced high purity chemicals. This concept will enable and enhance environmental initiatives for the recycling of UPW

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Project concerns Ultrapure Water (UPW), the life blood of the semiconductor industry. The proposed instrument seeks to satisfy the ITRS requirements on two counts: 1. full flow inspection, and 2. detection of sub-100nm liquid-borne particles. 1. A typical semiconductor fab uses about 3 million gallons of UPW every day, and the ITRS, in its attempt to conserve the precious resource, water, mandates that 90% of UPW be recycled/reused by 2010. The recycled UPW loop will need full flow monitoring, which the proposed Particle Scout will do. 2. The purity of UPW directly affects the chip yield, because the final operation on wafers is UPW rinse and any contaminants present in the UPW contaminate the wafers it rinses. As the industry moves to sub-100 nm nodes the ITRS particle detection requirements fall to sub-50 nm. "Particle Scout" for monitoring in real-time the particulate purity of recycled UPW for use in Semiconductor processing successfully overcomes a critical technological barrier facing the IC manufacturing industry today. Beyond IC manufacturing industry it will find applications in all enterprises where UPW is used: Power generation, Nuclear Reactors, Pharmaceutical industry, Biotechnology, Space exploration, and processing of Advanced high purity chemicals.