Ultra Pure Water

Water is critical to manufacturing semiconductors. This is why semiconductor manufacturing facilities are usually located at sites with a reliable water supply. In the semiconductor process, water is used mainly in semiconductor manufacturing, cleaning of process gases (scrubber), and regulating temperature and humidity of clean rooms. Below, we will learn about the kind of water used in sub-micron semiconductor manufacturing processes. We call it ‘ultra pure water.’ Semiconductors and water: what is ‘ultra pure water’?

Ultra pure water (UPW) is water that has been highly purified, removing all minerals, particles, bacteria, microbes and dissolved gases. It is also known as DIW (de-ionized water), in that all ion components have been removed. Semiconductors are subjected to a number of manufacturing steps, known as the 8 Essential Processes. UPW is primarily used in cleansing, carried out before and after many of these semiconductor processes. This involves washing away small wafer fragments following the etching step, or washing away residual ions after ion implantation. UPW is also used when polishing or cutting wafers.

UPW is the ultimate cleaning agent, used in a wide variety of processes. What benefits does using ‘ultra pure water’ in the semiconductor manufacturing process have? Semiconductors involve ultra-fine nano-scale processes, and even the tiniest speck remaining after each process can cause critical errors. By using ultra pure water to cleanse the wafers between each step, the highest standards of cleanliness are maintained, and semiconductor productivity - also called yield - is maximized. That’s the role ‘ultra pure water’ plays in the production of flawless semiconductors. Behind every world-leading semiconductor is UPW, ensuring not even the tiniest impurity passes from one step to the next. See Related Content An indispensable material in a semiconductor process: ‘Hydrogen Fluoride’