One way to withstand these price pressures is to significantly reduce nitrogen consumption and the energy required for production. Nitrogen is the most frequently used medium in the semiconductor manufacturing process. In large semiconductor factories, nitrogen consumption can be up to 50,000 cubic metres per hour. Nitrogen is used, among other things, to purge FOUPs and create a controlled, contamination-free environment for wafers that are transported from one machine to the next for processing.
By carefully analysing those areas in a factory where nitrogen is used, you could make considerable savings in a short amount of time. There are many opportunities to use nitrogen more effectively, especially when purging FOUPs, by dispensing it using closed loop controls. Compared to conventional valves, piezoelectric purge valves are extremely precise when dispensing and yet consume very little power. The nitrogen consumption of a large factory and the associated energy consumption and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced with the appropriate systems.
About the authors
Torsten Schulz
Head of Electronics Global Industry Segment
Festo SE & Co. KG
Tobias Glattbach
Electronics Global Industry Segment
Festo SE & Co. KG
