I want to enter the workshop of the research institute.
Its complexity is no less than that of the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.
We need to put on protective suits.
Then the wind blew, blowing away all the dust on my body.
After undergoing processes such as ultraviolet radiation.
From preparation to entry, it takes about an hour.
Unfortunately, the cleanliness requirements for the lithography machine are simply too high.
In simple terms, a lithography machine projects a light beam onto a mask with a circuit pattern by using a series of light source energy and shape constraints.
After optical compensation, the circuit diagram is scaled down and projected onto the silicon wafer. Finally, it is developed using chemical methods to obtain the circuit diagram etched on the silicon wafer.
Therefore, the most important element in the operation of a lithography machine is, of course, light.
Where does light travel? In the air, of course.
This is why lithography machines require a very high level of cleanliness in their working environment.
Even a speck of dust can render a manufactured chip unusable.
It's 1991 now, and the precision of lithography machines isn't that high yet.
This machine, which came from ASML, is far from reaching the 7-nanometer or even 5-nanometer technology of later generations.
Therefore, the requirements for the workshop seem very high at present, but it can still be managed by our own people.
It will be too late for future generations.
As the precision of lithography machines increases, the environmental requirements become more stringent and demanding.
According to international standards, the required environment for operating rooms is ISO 5.
This is the cleanest environment that ordinary people can access.
However, chip manufacturing is extremely delicate.
Even the smallest impurities can affect the quality of a product.
Therefore, in later generations, chip manufacturing workshops were required to meet the highest ISO 1 or ISO 2 standards!
That is, the number of impurities larger than 0.1 μm in size in each cubic meter of air should not exceed 100.
What does this mean?
To give an example: If West Lake is filled with pure water, and you sprinkle a handful of salt into it, it will no longer meet the standards!
That's a terrifying request!
It's unbelievable that with such high standards, manual cleaning is definitely not an option.
Humans shed more than 900 pieces of dead skin every minute.
More than 450 bacteria.
A single drop of sweat can ruin a whole batch of chips!
Note that it's a batch, not just one!
Therefore, chip factories have extremely high automation requirements, and people are actually a burden.
Where machines can be used, people should not be used.
The factory also needs continuous ventilation.
It filters while blowing to ensure it is completely dust-free.
This type of air-blowing filtration machine is called a blower filtration unit.
Only the US and island nations can produce this kind of unit.
This is also why Wu Changfeng sent Huo Jiaqi to the island nation to purchase air purification equipment.
Even the filter paper used for filtration could not be replaced by domestically produced materials in later generations.
There are many similar details in the chip manufacturing process.
This isn't just about environmental requirements; there are many more things to consider, it's enough to make your scalp tingle.
After entering the workshop.
Huo Jiaqi stood beside Wu Changfeng, explaining as he spoke, "We spent a lot of time getting this thing started, but time is actually worthless."
"The biggest expense is purchasing various raw materials."
Wu Changfeng nodded: "Don't rush, take your time. You should know that being able to buy it now is a great achievement."
Huo Jiaqi was a little confused. What did that mean?
Will we not be able to buy it anymore?
This was something Huo Jiaqi couldn't understand.
But he didn't think much of it; as long as his boss, Wu Changfeng, was there, all problems could be solved.
The boss is someone who creates miracles.
Subsequently, Huo Jiaqi demonstrated his professionalism and solid basic skills.
Pointing to each component of the lithography machine, he introduced them one by one:
"Boss, this is a semi-automatic device. Alignment can be achieved by using an electric shaft to position and adjust the CCD."
"This is an ultraviolet light source, one of the most crucial components of the exposure system."
"This is the alignment system, which uses a patented all-pneumatic bearing design technology to effectively avoid process errors caused by bearing mechanical friction."
"This is the workpiece stage, which, as the name suggests, is a platform for placing workpieces. The most important workpieces in the photolithography process are the mask and the substrate."
"The workpiece stage is a key component of the lithography machine. It consists of the overall motion stage (XY) of the mask and the relative motion stage (XY) of the mask and the sample, the rotating stage, the sample leveling mechanism, the sample focusing mechanism, the receiving stage, the mask clamp, and the pull-out mask stage."
"Among them, the sample leveling mechanism includes a ball seat and a hemisphere. During the leveling process, pressurized air is first introduced into the ball seat and hemisphere. Then, by using the focusing handwheel, the ball seat, hemisphere, and sample are moved upwards, so that the sample comes into contact with the mask and is leveled. Then, the two-position three-way solenoid valve is switched to vacuum to lock the ball seat and hemisphere and maintain the leveling state."
"The sample focusing mechanism consists of a focusing handwheel, a lever mechanism, and a rising linear guide rail. The initial focusing is performed during the leveling and rising process. After the leveling is completed and the locking ball air float is engaged, a certain gap will be generated between the sample and the mask, so fine focusing must be performed."
"On the other hand, after leveling is completed and alignment is performed, a certain alignment gap must be separated, and fine-tuning of the focus is also required."
"The pull-out mask stage is mainly used for rapid loading and unloading of films, and consists of a dovetail guide rail, positioning blocks, and a locking handwheel."
Huo Jiaqi spoke for over an hour.
Wu Changfeng was completely confused.
Actually, he didn't know much, and he wasn't even as professional as Huo Jiaqi.
But he knew far more about the interesting stories behind lithography machines than Huo Jiaqi did.
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