SBIR Phase I: A Quality Monitor for Enabling Water Recycling in Semiconductor Processing - The Particle Scout

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目涉及半导体行业的命脉--超纯水(UPW)。拟议的仪器寻求在两个方面满足国际半导体技术路线图(ITRS)的要求：1.全流程检测，2.检测100 nm以下的液体颗粒。一个典型的半导体工厂每天使用大约300万加仑的UPW。为了控制运营成本和确保可持续增长，国际技转中心规定，2005年使用的万国邮品中有70%被回收或再利用(到2010年达到90%)。作为一种速度足够快的UPW质量监测器，能够在最终(50 nm及以下)的颗粒纯度水平上对整个去离子水流进行在线、实时的颗粒检测，声学诱导微空化(ACIM)粒子探测器将使这些ITRS目标能够回收UPW。拟议的ACIM粒子侦察机旨在满足半导体行业重要的财务(运营成本)和质量(低于100 nm精度)需求。除了IC制造行业，粒子侦察机还将在所有UPW密集型企业中找到应用：核反应堆和其他发电机、制药行业、生物技术、太空探索和先进的高纯度化学品加工。这一概念将促进和加强万国邮联回收利用的环境倡议。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project concerns Ultrapure Water (UPW), the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry. The proposed instrument seeks to satisfy the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) requirements on two counts: 1. full flow inspections, 2. detection of sub-100nm liquid-borne particles. A typical semiconductor fab uses about 3 million gallons of UPW every day. To control operating costs and ensure sustainable growth, ITRS specifies that 70% of the UPW used in 2005 be recycled or reused (90% by 2010). As a UPW quality monitor fast enough to truly be an in-line, real-time particle detector of an entire DI water stream at the ultimate (50 nm and below) level of particulate purity, the Acoustic Coaxing Induced Microcavitation (ACIM) Particle Scout will enable these ITRS objectives for recycling UPW. The proposed ACIM Particle Scout is designed to meet important financial (operating costs) and quality (sub-100nm precision) needs of the Semiconductor industry. Beyond the IC manufacturing industry the Particle Scout will find applications in all UPW-intensive enterprises: nuclear reactors and other power generators, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, space exploration, and processing of advanced high purity chemicals. This concept will enable and enhance environmental initiatives for the recycling of UPW.