What is semiconductor fab? | fabrication plant
Whatisasemiconductorfab?Asemiconductorfab--shortforfabrication--isamanufacturingplantinwhichrawsiliconwafersareturnedintointegratedcircuits(ICs[1]).AfablabfeaturesacleanroomwhereICsareetchedontowafers.Thecompletedchipsaresenttoaback-endassemblyandtestfacilitybeforetheyarepackagedandsold.Asemiconductor[2]fabfacilityalwaysincludesacleanroom--soknownbecauseitsenvironmentiscarefullycontrolledtoeliminatedustandvibrationsandtokeepthetemperatureandhumiditywithinaspecificnarrowrange.Contaminationcan...
What is a semiconductor fab?A semiconductor fab -- short for fabrication -- is a manufacturing plant in which raw silicon wafers are turned into integrated circuits (ICs[1]). A fab lab features a clean room where ICs are etched onto wafers. The completed chips are sent to a back-end assembly and test facility before they are packaged and sold.
A semiconductor[2] fab facility always includes a clean room -- so known because its environment is carefully controlled to eliminate dust and vibrations and to keep the temperature and humidity within a specific narrow range.
Contamination can enter the fab environment through external sources, resulting in damages to products that can affect overall yield. To minimize the losses, all potential sources of contamination are thoroughly analyzed and cleaned. For example, the tools used in the chip manufacturing process have low levels of particulates and fibers. The goal is to ensure that extraneous contamination is not introdu...