We’ve all noticed that cloudy film that forms on the inside of our vehicle windshields. A major contributor to this annoying coating is outgassing. Of course, this is not the only situation where outgassing is an issue.
Semiconductors are vital in today’s world and can be found in all the devices that we have become so accustomed to. With features measured in nanometers, semiconductor production requires incredible accuracy. It is critical to remove contaminants from the process chambers and, therefore, the processes are done under vacuum. This presents a challenge when selecting components that must live in a vacuum. The vacuum environment causes materials to outgas which is the release of gasses trapped within the material. These stray molecules are a cause for concern as they can interfere with the semiconductor production processes. Adhesives, rubbers and plastics are common sources of outgassing but even metals and glasses can release gasses from cracks or impurities. However, for most solid materials, the method of manufacture and preparation can reduce the level of outgassing significantly.
Builders of equipment used to produce semiconductors must evaluate each component used in a vacuum chamber to mitigate outgassing as much as possible. To help them achieve this, they work with component vendors who have extensive experience in the industry and offer vacuum compatible products. These vendors can also provide highly customized products that ensure very high performance and quality, as well as addressing concerns with outgassing.
Precision sensors that will operate in high vacuum or UHV (Ultra High Vacuum) environments must be carefully constructed from materials with low vapor pressures in order to avoid outgassing. Also, some innovative methods are often utilized to address the challenges with precision sensors that are needed in a vacuum chamber. An example would be to use a precision photoelectric sensor with separate electronics. The electronics are contained in an amplifier which can be mounted outside of the vacuum chamber and the vacuum compatible sensor, with stainless steel housing, can be threaded into the chamber.
Fortunately, semiconductor equipment builders and their component suppliers are well versed in the challenges associated with outgassing and work together to overcome them. By conquering this, and many other challenges they insure we can continue to enjoy our high-tech gadgets.
