The issue of particle control with the use of HEPA and ULPA filters has long been an essential part of the fabrication process for integrated device semiconductors as well as the disk drive and liquid crystal display industries. Although very efficient for removing particles down to a critical size of 0.05μm, filter technology is not as efficient in removing molecular contamination with average dimensions of 2-30Å. The presence of such Airborne Molecular Contamination (AMC) within the processing areas has played a more significant role as device geometries for integrated circuits and disk drives have shrunk and glass panels for liquid crystal displays have grown much larger. As these manufacturing trends have evolved, ever-shrinking concentrations of AMC have been shown to play a critical role in yield processes for all of these fabrication processes. Read more