The semiconductor industry is based on semiconductor materials such as silicon, covering fields such as integrated circuits and optoelectronic devices, with integrated circuits accounting for over 80%. The industry has a strict demand for ultrapure water, and water quality directly affects production quality and performance. Ultra pure water monitoring has become a key link.
The current standard for semiconductor ultrapure water far exceeds the highest requirements of the national standard for electronic water, with core indicators including: a resistivity of 18.2 megaohms (25 ℃) or higher to ensure extremely low ion content; TOC (Total Organic Carbon) should be controlled below 0.5ppb to avoid affecting lithography accuracy; Particles larger than 0.05 microns shall not exceed 100 per liter; Dissolved oxygen should be below 1 ppb to prevent oxidation of metal ions.
Ultra pure water is used in the entire production process of wafer rinsing, photolithography, etching cooling, mechanical polishing, etc. It is also used for equipment cooling and laboratory research and development. In terms of monitoring methods, particles are detected using a liquid particle counter, TOC、 Real time monitoring of resistivity, dissolved oxygen, etc. is achieved through online electrochemical instruments, combined with an integrated system to achieve dynamic management of water quality.
The monitoring cycle depends on production demand and water quality changes, and regular sampling and analysis are required. Ultra pure water is processed from tap water through multiple stages such as ACF, UF, RO, EDI, and then TOC is reduced to below 1 ppb through TOC-UV lamp device.
With the reduction in size and improvement in precision of semiconductor components, water quality requirements continue to increase. The industry is responding to more stringent challenges by improving detection accuracy and applying new technologies such as remote monitoring, in order to reduce production losses caused by water quality issues and ensure product yield.