Jul 7 2009
Taiwan-based GMORS, a leading supplier of high-technology sealing components, and DV Consulting have launched Applied Seals North America, Inc., a California-based joint venture specializing in durable, inert elastomeric sealing products for the semiconductor, solar and pharmaceutical markets in the U.S., Europe, Japan and China.
In the semiconductor industry, sealing products made with perfluoroelastomer materials are used to reliably seal and maintain the integrity of ultraclean processing chambers, preventing contamination and outgassing problems that reduce manufacturing yields. These products are used in virtually all semiconductor deposition and etching equipment.
As tolerances tighten for submicron-sized particles and vacuum requirements, the ability to correctly design, prescribe and apply sealing products for each harsh processing environment has become key to the productivity of multi-billion-dollar wafer fabs. Perfluoroelastomer seals and o-rings have been shown to extend cycle times for preventive maintenance. This increases manufacturing uptime, boosting a wafer fab's production capacity without the expense of additional equipment.
In a recent evaluation of one customer's deposition operations, Applied Seals North America's situation analysis and o-ring recommendation extended the run time between maintenance service from 3,000 wafers to 20,000 wafers.
"Sealing products are far from commodity items," explained Dalia Vernikovsky, president and general manager of Applied Seals North America. "Not only can their composition be tailored for specific applications, but the use of different filler systems, curing processes and even installation methods can dramatically impact the performance and lifetime of elastomeric seals.
"Our new operation in Newark, Calif., gives us proximity to our customers throughout the western U.S., allowing us to provide direct engineering support and resolve any issues much more quickly," she added. "With our in-house resources, we're now able to deliver application solutions, post-sales service and product consignment not only to the semiconductor market, but also to the solar energy, pharmaceutical and biotech industries."
Reflecting the ultraclean environments in which they are used, the high-end perfluoroelastomer seals sold by Applied Seals North America remain within a Class 100 cleanroom environment throughout production and packaging. This is one of the factors differentiating the company's products from those offered by other suppliers.