Electronics

The electronics industry has stringent product quality requirements. Since even the minutest particles can lead to production defects, highly sensitive measurement methods are vital.

Compared with other industries, the electronics industry requires utmost purity because the products manufactured are in the micrometre and nanometre range where even the smallest particle could lead to defects that could cause the failure of an entire circuit.

Production with total purity

During the production of microchips, the first step is to create a substrate of monocrystalline silicon. This is then used to create discs or ‘wafers’ on which individual microchips are produced in parallel. 

Whether rinsing or positioning the individual components on a wafer, the key factor in each stage of production is purity. This is because all processes need to be performed without any impurities present. Not only do airborne particles need to be monitored in clean rooms, but the rinsing agents have to be as pure as possible too. Simply de-ionising the water is not enough. Guaranteeing the quality of the ultra-pure water requires the use of highly sensitive water analyses. Even particles just micrometres in size can seriously impair the process.

The values of the following parameters are monitored:

• Conductivity
• TOC
• pH 
• Silica
• Oxygen
  

In order to ensure the greatest possible purity, fluid particle counters are also used to determine particle sizes and numbers