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Fab Glossary.ZIP

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“Fab” is where semiconductors are born. Fab is short for “fabrication”, which means to produce, and refers to semiconductor production facilities in the semiconductor industry. Today at “#Semiconductors 101, a group where you learn about semiconductors”, we compiled key terms related to fabs. Clean room, a place where the tiniest speck of dust is not allowed
Clean room, a place where the tiniest speck of dust is not allowed
Clean room, a place where the tiniest speck of dust is not allowed
The inside of the semiconductor production line is called a clean room. If even a tiny piece of dust or particle enters the semiconductor production process, the quality of the semiconductor will be impacted. This is why clean rooms must maintain an extremely high level of cleanliness compared to other external environments. The scale that shows the cleanliness of a space is called “class”. Class indicates how many particles measuring at least 0.5 micrometers are in 1 cubic feet. For example, if the class of a clean room is 1,000, that means the space has up to 1,000 particles measuring at least 0.5 micrometers. The inside of Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor clean rooms have high-performance filters that filter out dust on the ceilings and through tiny lattice-shaped holes on the floor. A clean environment is maintained through a structure that circulates air from top to bottom.
Essential outfit in a clean room, dust-free wear
Essential outfit in a clean room, dust-free wear
In order to enter a line that is optimized for the production environment, all workers must wear special clean room garments. These clean room garments are designed so that fine particles such as a dust do not escape and even prevent static electricity, which may impact the semiconductor integration circuit. Package box “FOUP” and transport vehicle “OHT” that help move wafers efficiently Semiconductors are produced after completing hundreds of steps that are represented by 8 main processes over a course of 3 weeks or more. During these processes, the FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod/Front Opening Universal Pod) and OHT(Overhead Hoist Transport) help the wafers move efficiently to various facilities inside the fab.
Package box “FOUP” and transport vehicle “OHT” that help move wafers efficiently
Package box “FOUP” and transport vehicle “OHT” that help move wafers efficiently
FOUP is a container that was designed to store or safely move wafers and can be seen as a box that is dedicated for wafer delivery. OHT is a delivery vehicle that moves this box to wherever it needs to go. The OHT is one of the most standout pieces of equipment in the fab. It quickly and automatically transports the FOUP that contains wafers to the necessary equipment along railways that are installed like roads on the ceiling of the fab. The OHT system is similar to an autonomous driving system. It is equipped with sensors that can detect obstacles to prevent collisions when moving. It automatically detects danger and slows down to travel safely. The efficiency of the semiconductor line production can be greatly improved through OHTs. Because it is difficult to enter and experience the semiconductor production line yourself, this place may be even more interesting to those with an interest in semiconductors. We hope today’s post satisfied your curiosity a bit, and we hope you’ll look forward to the next #Semiconductors 101 meeting!
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