INFICON GmbH from Cologne, a manufacturer of leak testing devices and instruments, presents the latest generation of mobile leak detectors used in semiconductor, solar cell and flat panel display manufacturing. The new UL6000 Fab PLUS version adds another speed record compared to the UL6000 Fab by means of a further highlight: the new, intelligent I∙RISE function. A leak detection and fixing process is always followed by an integral leak test of the production tool with a rate-of-rise test. The UL6000Fab PLUS now takes on both jobs: the leak detection and the pressure increase measurement. In this respect, I∙RISE has a huge speed advantage. A conventional rate-of-rise, or so-called vacuum decay test on a large vacuum production tool performed using an external pressure sensor can take several minutes or even hours – the new I∙RISE function completes this test within 10 seconds. Besides I∙RISE, the use of extremely efficient pumps is also a reason why devices from the UL6000 Fab series often pay for themselves after a few uses: thanks to the record speed of these leak detectors, they reduce production interruptions and downtime, for example during the scheduled maintenance of a tool, to the absolute minimum.
The fastest and most sensitive leak testing system on the market
The extremely high speed with which the INFICON leak detectors complete the helium leak test on large vacuum chambers is already characteristic for the UL6000 Fab, which is still available. Both devices from the UL6000 Fab series feature an innovative booster turbomolecular pump, which pumps helium at more than 36 liters per second. This enormous helium pumping speed enables the leak detector to respond extremely fast, with very short rise and fall times of the leak rate. As a roughing pump, INFICON has fitted a very high performance roots pump with a pumping capacity of 36 m³ per hour, which allows the shortest evacuation times. Its air pumping speed is much higher than with other roots pumps across a wide pressure range, particularly in the rough vacuum range. This provides a speed advantage of several minutes per test, especially for larger production tools with volumes between 50 and 1,000 liters or more. The sensitivity of the UL6000 Fab series is also unparalleled: The devices even detect the smallest leaks down to a size of 5 ∙ 10‑12 mbar∙l/s with complete reliability. All this has already made the UL6000 Fab the fastest, most sensitive leak testing system on the market. In practical use, only the new UL6000 Fab PLUS exceeds it – thanks to its integrated and faster than ever I∙RISE function for the integral leak testing of any vacuum production tool.
I∙RISE: Extreme time saving for rate-of-rise tests on vacuum chambers
Semiconductor and vacuum equipment is continuously checked by rate-of-rise tests during operations. If a leak is detected during this integral leakage test, it is often not easy to determine which of the many connections, feedthroughs, welds and valves are causing the leak. For leak detection, the UL6000 Fab PLUS is connected to the chambers and a helium spray test is performed to locate the potential leaks. If helium penetrates the equipment’s vacuum at a spraying position, it is definite that a leak has been found. In order to determine, however, whether this connection is the only leak or whether there are others, a further rate-of-rise test must be carried out as soon as the leak has been fixed. The new UL6000 Fab PLUS saves a great deal of time in this scenario, as it is able to perform the helium spray method and the rate-of-rise test one immediately after the other. In addition, thanks to the new I∙RISE function, the connected leak detector transfers the pressure increase of the large production chamber volume into its small internal volume – which speeds up the integral test tremendously. The duration of a rate-of-rise test is dependent on the size of the vacuum chamber being tested. As a consequence, a test with vacuum equipment itself increases lost production time. The intelligent I∙RISE function of the UL6000 Fab PLUS accomplishes this integral test in just 10 seconds. Especially in the case of large production equipment volumes, I∙RISE thus ensures an extreme time saving.
