Load-lock evacuation at a semiconductor back-end facility
The customer
A semiconductor back-end (assembly & test) facility running wire-bond and die-attach lines in cleanroom-class enclosures. Each tool has a load-lock chamber where wafers are evacuated before transfer to the process chamber.
The challenge
Load-lock cycle time is 6 seconds at the spec — one second of pump-down delay across 24 tools is a measurable hit on throughput. The previous pumps were also picking up flux residue from the bonding chamber, requiring oil changes every 800 hours instead of the rated 3,000.
The solution
24× DV30 two-stage rotary vane pumps, one per tool, with:
- Gas-ballast valve open during pump-down to handle the flux vapor
- Inlet trap with activated carbon to capture organics upstream of the pump
- Centralised exhaust manifold with oil-mist eliminator
The result
- Load-lock pump-down: 6.0 s → 4.2 s
- Oil-change interval: 800 h → 2,800 h (close to the rated 3,000)
- Cleanroom particle counts unchanged — exhaust isolation works
- 24-pump fleet rolled in over 6 weeks with zero unplanned downtime