Applied Seals North America has launched an applications and design facility at its headquarters located in Silicon Valley. The center will enable the company to address customer issues with seals, including o-rings applicable in the 22nm technology segment of semiconductor production.
Advanced perfluoroelastomer or FFKM, seals are used in tools to enable semiconductor developers to create and maintain sterile conditions conducive to producing ICs. A specialized applications laboratory will allow developers of nano-chips and wafer-fabrication tools to help address sealing problems. ASNA will accept customer seals for analysis.
According to Dalia Vernikovsky, president and general manager of ASNA, the company will now be able to deliver rapid diagnosis and remedies to sealing problems faced by semiconductor developers.
The center will be able to measure both standard and customized seals and glands, the roughness of product surfaces to within 50nm. The metrology information will enable finite element analysis (FEA) in order to enhance the structure and fabrication of sealing equipment for individual applications. The metrology equipment features magnifying optical comparators, CCTV-enabled microscopes, calipers and gauges.
The center will allow the company to develop sealing solutions used in production, such as immersion lithography and hafnium deposition. Design engineers in Silicon Valley also network with the company’s design and development divisions in Taiwan.
Source: http://www.appliedsealsna.com