Exploring the IC Manufacturing Process at TSMC

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC)
2. The Trinity of Strengths: Technology Leadership, Manufacturing Excellence, and Customer Partnership
3. Inside the Fabs at TSMC: A Look at the IC Manufacturing Process
4. The Cleanroom: Ensuring a Contaminant-Free Environment
5. Supplying Pure Water and Special Liquids for IC Manufacturing
6. Cleanroom Garments and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
7. The Structure of an Integrated Circuit (IC)
8. Raw Materials for IC Manufacturing: Silicon Wafers
9. The Process of Fabricating Silicon Wafers
10. Designing the Patterns: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Systems
11. Photo Masks: Transferring Circuit Patterns
12. Major Areas in the Fab for Manufacturing ICs
13. Thin Film Growth and Ion Implantation
14. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Thin Film Deposition
15. Photo Lithography: Exposing and Developing Circuit Patterns
16. Etching: Removing Unwanted Materials
17. Connecting Electronic Components with Metal Conducting Wires
18. Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) for a Flat Surface
19. Completion of IC Manufacturing: Acceptance testing and Packaging
20. Advancements in Wafer Size: From 8-inch to 12-inch
21. Automation at TSMC: Automatic Material Handling Systems
22. Conclusion: TSMC's Fabs and Manufacturing Process

Inside the Fabs at TSMC: A Look at the IC Manufacturing Process

Welcome to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the pioneer and leader in the dedicated semiconductor foundry business. TSMC's trinity of strengths, which includes technology leadership, manufacturing excellence, and customer partnership, has placed the company at the forefront of the foundry segment. In this article, we will take you inside the fabs at TSMC and provide a comprehensive overview of the IC (integrated circuit) manufacturing process.

🏭 The Cleanroom: Ensuring a Contaminant-Free Environment

The fab, short for fabrication facility, is a giant cleanroom equipped with various types of air filters to maintain a contaminant-free manufacturing environment. To maintain the air quality, air from the outside must pass through multiple filters, eliminating all kinds of particles. However, it's not just the air quality that is controlled in the cleanroom. Factors like temperature, humidity, electrostatic discharge, pressure, magnetic fields, and vibrations must also be carefully regulated. Moreover, pure water, special liquids, and gases necessary for IC manufacturing are supplied directly to the manufacturing equipment through pipelines running throughout the cleanroom.

🔬 The Structure of an Integrated Circuit (IC)

An integrated circuit, or IC, is a system of electronic components and circuits miniaturized onto a silicon chip measuring one centimeter square or smaller. When observed under a microscope, the apparently smooth surface of a chip reveals numerous components of different heights and shapes. These components are fabricated using a series of complex processes, starting with the raw materials used to make the IC.

🌱 Raw Materials for IC Manufacturing: Silicon Wafers

Silicon wafers are the basic raw material used in IC manufacturing. By doping the wafer with elements like arsenic, phosphorus, and boron, the conductivity and characteristics of the wafer can be modified to meet the requirements for flatness and uniformity. The fabrication process begins with polycrystalline silicon material, which is first heated and then pulled out as a cylindrical ingot of crystalline silicon. The outer surface of the silicon ingot is ground to a uniform diameter and sliced into thin silicon wafers. The edge and surface of these wafers undergo grinding and polishing to ensure their quality.

💻 Designing the Patterns: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Systems

Design engineers use computer-aided design systems to lay out the patterns for each circuit of the IC. By using electron beams or lasers, these patterns are transferred to photo masks, which are essential for the subsequent steps in the manufacturing process. The complexity of the design and the process technologies determine the number of photo masks required for a specific integrated circuit product. Typically, at least 20 to 30 layers of photo masks are needed, with accurate alignment between each layer.

⚙ Major Areas in the Fab for Manufacturing ICs

The fab for manufacturing ICs is divided into several major areas, each with a unique function. In the division area, silicon wafers are sent into an oven tube for thin film growth at high temperatures. The silicon wafer stays in this environment, where temperature and gas flow rate are accurately controlled, for a specific period. This treatment allows the surface of the wafer to react with the high temperatures and form an insulating silicon compound film. Other areas include ion implantation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), photo lithography, etching, metal wire connection, and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to ensure a flat surface.

🛠 Automation at TSMC: Automatic Material Handling Systems

As technology has advanced, the size of silicon wafers has increased from eight inches to twelve inches. While an eight-inch wafer could be transported manually, the weight of a twelve-inch wafer, along with the carrier tool, is too heavy for manual handling. TSMC has introduced automatic material handling systems and automatic real-time dispatch systems in its twelve-inch fabs. These systems control everything from wafer transportation to manufacturing, improving the efficiency of the fab through automation.

This article has provided an overview of the IC manufacturing process inside the fabs at TSMC. From maintaining a contaminant-free environment to the intricate fabrication of silicon wafers and the various steps involved in circuit formation, TSMC's commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of its manufacturing process.

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