Minimal Fab with a Complete Isolation between Man and Product

Abstract

The minimal fab concept was designed in order to achieve brand-new semiconductor fab whose investment cost is 1/1,000 less than that of a conventional mega fab. The targets of minimal fab are the device markets with high-variation and low-volume. The minimal fab has three important features; (1) the wafer diameter is a half inch, (2) each process tool size is 294 mm wide × 450 mm deep × 1440 mm high, and (3) no clean room is needed due to the adoption of local clean technology. This paper describes the concept, the local clean technology of minimal equipment, and the fabrication of devices using the equipment.