Global technology leader Laird has developed custom cooling and temperature control systems for semiconductor fabrication equipment. The custom liquid cooling systems for semiconductor tools—which can include heat exchangers, pumps, sensors, thermoelectric modules, thermoelectric assemblies, thermoelectric chillers, compressors, flow controllers, temperature controllers and more—are specifically designed to keep these tools running at precise temperatures.
Liquid cooling systems maintain precise temperatures in semiconductor fabrication applications. Source: Laird. In semiconductor fabrication facilities, Laird's custom multistage compressor-based chillers are used to support cooling for very low temperature requirements. Most standard chillers need some form of modification to meet semiconductor process facility requirements and may even require a water-cooled condenser. Laird’s liquid-to-liquid cooling systems operate close to ambient and are based on a fluid-to-fluid heat-exchange principle. Laird also offers cost-efficient thermoelectric-based (19 in. rack) cooling systems for etch applications.
Laird's custom cooling systems have a water-cooled evaporator instead of an air-cooled evaporator. A liquid-to-liquid solution is quieter than a liquid-to-air system because a fan is not required. More importantly, the heat can be rejected by available general facility cooling water and may not be rejected into the air temperature-conditioned environment.
Laird cooling systems can be positioned near the production tool, hidden in a false floor or on the lower level in a sub-floor. They are built to meet SEMI S2 or F47 standards, including seismic protection. Laird's cooling and temperature control systems can be configured to meet cleanroom requirements.
Laird's advanced temperature controllers also offer monitoring and alarm functionality, which is critical to maximizing semiconductor equipment uptime.
