Semiconductor manufacturing is a relentless cycle of innovation. New and advanced semi products drive the race of ever-increasing productivity.
Usually, semi manufacturers look to increase throughput in order to optimize operating costs and reduce costs per chip. However, aging production systems often require increased maintenance, which can result in the opposite effect of increasing, not reducing, operating costs.
In Search of More Performance
Vacuum valves – transfer valves or control valves – are a key component of semiconductor fabs production plants, where their availability, performance and maintenance are a decisive factor of fab efficiency. As the world's leading supplier of vacuum valve solutions, VAT offers a comprehensive range of upgrades and retrofits for existing production systems.
Available as "plug-and-play" solutions, complete with all the necessary cables, seals and connections, VAT upgrades and retrofits offer an instant improvement in performance – enhanced particle avoidance, cycle speed, controllability and extended maintenance intervals. All at a lower cost of ownership.
“For example, retrofitting an etch system with VAT Series 61.2 butterfly control valves can deliver substantial throughput improvements for most processes,” explains Daniel Feurer, Head of Product Management GSE at VAT. “The precise controllability of the VAT Series 61.2 allows very exact and reliable control of the conductance, even with particle-laden streams. As a retrofit valve, it fits perfectly into the existing space and is easy installed.”
"Plug and play" Solutions with Benefits
Further key benefits include:
- Higher performance for more demanding and faster processes
- Enhanced process stability for higher uptime
- Significant particle reduction
- Lower cost of operation
“VAT upgrades and retrofits are a quick, simple and cost-effective way for semi manufacturers to optimize the productivity of their current production systems,” concludes Daniel Feurer.