VALVE MAGAZINE Winter 2024

HIGH-PURITY PRESSURE REGULATORS

REGULATORS

Advances in Pressure Regulator Technology Help Boost Semiconductor Fabrication Yields

BY: JULIA VILLA, Product Marketing Manager COMPANY: EMERSON

In addition to product innovations, supplier relationships are key to keeping fabs operating at peak production levels.

Demand for virtually every kind of semicon ductor chip continues to grow as digital technology is woven more deeply into every aspect of our modern world. That demand places unrelenting pressure on fabs to increase production yields, challenging manufacturers to find new technologies and solutions to boost productivity while simultaneously improving manufacturing quality. For the semiconductor industry, this can be a complex and costly challenge. When manufacturers have well-established, multibillion-dollar production systems and controls, it can be difficult to convince them to invest in integrating new production, automation and data analysis tools. However, there are incremental technologies becoming available, such

as innovative new gas delivery components, that offer ways to improve semiconductor efficiency and productivity, one pressure regulator at a time. Upgrade key gas delivery system components to improve yield Updating or modifying any part of an established chip manu facturing process is challenging. First, it can be extremely expensive in terms of engineering and equipment costs. New system integration can also prove cumbersome and present costly disruptions to the larger operation. These challenges often lead manufacturers and their suppliers to examine smaller systems and components within the process to try to

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VALVE MAGAZINE

WINTER 2024