The Small Batch Vertical Furnace (SBVF) can process wafers up to 200 mm. The dual tube vertical furnace is loaded by a single wafer robot system. This system allows sequential processing, with wafers being transferred from one process tube to the other in inert atmosphere.
Key system features
- Dual tube configuration, 40 cm flat zone
- Controlled ambient capability
- Sequential processing
- Side-by-side positioning with a small footprint
- The Tempress load port can handle up to 4 cassettes
- Designed for R&D and flexible small production
- Single wafer robot handling (fully automatic loading)
- ATM, LPCVD, Oxide & Poly Processes
- Wafer size 150 and 200 mm wafers
Customer benefits
- Small batch will reduce manufacturing time. Queuing time in front and back of a large system will increase the device manufacturing time.
- Small batch systems have a throughput that is more in line with that of single wafer tools, and still allow for long(er) process steps, whereas ‘mini batch systems’ are effective for short processes only.
- Sequential processing will reduce process time, and improve process integration, but with smaller batches the risk compared to large systems is reduced.
- For high volume layers, the Dual Tube design of the Tempress SBVF furnace with both tubes running the same process can handle high volumes, and is still lower in cost than the large batch systems, but still provide faster turn around times per batch.
- For short processes the system can be set-up as a ‘mini batch’ system for 25 wafers loads. With a larger wafer spacing it will allow for a fast ramp-up and cool-down, and still assure uniform wafer temperatures and layer uniformities.
- The Tempress SBVF offers the flexibility to adapt to Mini, Midi and Mega batch processing, and provides the tool flexibility to adapt to the production and product needs of a flexible wafer production.