UltraPure Water (UPW)

Cleaning operations precede and follow many process steps and as a result a single wafer can be exposed to UPW as many as fifty times during the manufacturing cycle of a semiconductor device. UPW is mainly used to remove defect-causing contaminants from the wafer surface and to rinse or clean wafers after they have been exposed to chemicals during the wet etch process.

In order to meet the needs of the electronics industry, a filter must be able to deliver high flow rates with minimal pressure drop, effective during a wide range of operating conditions, have enhanced particle reduction capabilities, be able to rinse-up quickly for resistivity, have low ionic and metals extractables, and low Total Organic Carbon (TOC) levels, be cost-effective, and simple to install and service.