Communications of the ACM
Helping the Microchip Industry Go (Very Low) With the Flow
A new study by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has uncovered a source of error in an industry-standard calibration method that could lead microchip manufacturers to lose a million dollars or more in a single fabrica
Credit: Curt Suplee/NIST
U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have rooted out the cause of error in an industry-standard calibration method that could add up to massive losses for microchip manufacturers.
The team developed a mathematical model of the "rate of rise" (RoR) method of measuring pressure and temperature as gas fills a collection tank via mass flow controllers.
They determined conventional measurements can have significant errors due to incorrect temperature values, and lacking corrections for these errors, RoR readings can be off by up to 1%, if not more.
Lam Research's Iqbal Shareef says, "A tiny amount of variation in the flow rate has a profound effect on the etch rate and critical dimensions of the structures" in very large-scale integrated circuits.
NIST's discovery is prompting many chipmakers to reevaluate their practices.
From National Institute of Standards and Technology
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