SEMI S-30, Energetic Materials and Methods for Mitigating Process Exhaust Pipe Hazards
Steve Cottle
(Edwards UK and Edwards USA)
In July 2019 SEMI published the S-30 Standard for Safety Guidelines for Use of Energetic Materials in Semiconductor R&D and Manufacturing Processes. Borne from the 2013 Sematech Industry benchmarking where over 70 energetic related incidents were recorded it can be seen that a large majority of these are post reactor. This paper will introduce the SEMI S-30 standard then review the risks associated with these energetic materials and describe methods for mitigating process exhaust pipe hazards in high-volume manufacturing. In particular, we will describe an approach based on the integrating vacuum pumps and point-of-use abatement systems with essential safety devices and monitoring systems into a complete sub-fab vacuum and abatement solution. Such modular integrated sub-fab systems employ Best Known Methods (BKM) for each process tool and applications to ensure safe system operation, including mitigation of process exhaust hazards, and reduce exposure of service staff to hazardous materials.