Precise breakthrough: Domestic TOC analyzer solves the problem of semiconductor ultra trace detection
In September 2025, a semiconductor company's 3nm process yield fluctuated by 15%. The investigation results showed that the TOC concentration after RO membrane increased from 0.8ppb to 1.2ppb. This slight change led to the formation of organic film on the wafer surface, directly causing thousands of wafers to be scrapped. As the chip manufacturing process enters the 5nm and below node, the control standard for total organic carbon (TOC) in ultra pure water has been tightened from the traditional 5ppb to<1pppb, and some advanced processes require reaching 0.5ppb. The SEMI F75-0521 standard clearly stipulates that continuous TOC monitoring must be carried out at the point of distribution (POD) and point of use (POU). However, traditional detection equipment has problems such as low concentration response lag and insufficient oxidation efficiency, which are becoming hidden bottlenecks affecting the improvement of semiconductor yield.
Key threshold of 1 ppb: TOC detection challenge in the semiconductor industry
Insufficient TOC detection accuracy has become an important hidden danger in the 5nm process. When the wafer line width is reduced to 3nm, a single organic molecule may cause device failure. An experiment conducted by a semiconductor materials research institute showed that for every 0.1 ppb increase in TOC concentration in water, the defect rate of the gate oxide layer increases by 8%. More importantly, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of traditional high-temperature combustion TOC analyzers generally exceeds 5% at a concentration of 1 ppb, making it difficult to meet the SEMI standard requirement of ≤ 2% accuracy.
System applicability verification also faces challenges. SEMI F75-0521 requires an oxidation efficiency of 85% -115% for 500 μ g/L sucrose and benzoquinone solutions, while the degradation rate of benzoquinone by single UV lamp oxidation technology is often less than 70%. A certain wafer fab once suffered batch organic pollution due to the use of equipment that did not pass the system suitability verification, resulting in a direct loss of over 20 million yuan.
Dual UV Lamp Technology: Overcoming the Difficulties of Ultra trace TOC Detection
The TOCG-3041 total organic carbon analyzer from Shanghai Botuo Instrument has demonstrated outstanding strength in improving accuracy through dual UV lamp synergistic oxidation technology. Its core advantages are reflected in two aspects:
The detection limit of 0.1 μ g/L achieves precise monitoring at the ppb level. The equipment adopts a dual wavelength UV lamp of 185nm+254nm, combined with a quartz spiral reaction chamber, to fully oxidize the water sample in slow flow. The third-party testing report shows that at a concentration of 0.5ppb, the RSD of TOCG-3041 is only 1.8%, which is better than the 3.5% of similar international products.
Efficient oxidation efficiency for dealing with complex organic compounds. Through the use of PTFE tubing and dual electrode differential detection design, TOCG-3041 has achieved a stable degradation rate of 95% -105% for difficult to oxidize benzoquinone solutions, and has successfully passed the system suitability verification of SEMI standards. According to application data from a 12 inch wafer fab, the yield loss caused by TOC fluctuations decreased by 72% after deploying the RO membrane equipment.
Full scene adaptation: monitoring scheme from laboratory to production line
Online/offline dual-mode monitoring meets the needs of different scenarios. At critical nodes in the ultrapure water preparation system (such as after mixed bed and polishing), the online monitoring mode of TOCG-3041 can achieve a rapid response time of 15 minutes, with real-time data uploaded to the central control system; In the chip cleaning process, the offline detection mode can flexibly capture instantaneous pollution. A semiconductor company's practice has shown that this combination scheme can increase the detection time of water quality abnormalities by three times.
The low maintenance feature effectively reduces operation and maintenance costs. The equipment adopts a reagent free design, with a UV lamp lifespan of up to 5000 hours, a peristaltic pump tube replacement cycle of 1 year, and annual maintenance costs only one-third of imported equipment. At the same time, its compact size of 450mm × 520mm × 250mm can be directly integrated into the cabinet of the ultrapure water distribution system, adapting to the actual situation of tight space in semiconductor factories.
Domestic substitution accelerates: breaking international technological monopoly
For a long time, the semiconductor industry has relied heavily on international brands such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and Shimadzu for TOC testing equipment, with procurement costs ranging from 300000 to 500000 yuan and after-sales service response cycles often exceeding 72 hours. The launch of TOCG-3041 reduces the procurement cost of testing equipment by 50%, while relying on Shanghai Botuo's service outlets in 20 cities across the country to achieve on-site maintenance within 24 hours.
A comparative test conducted by a semiconductor company showed that the deviation between TOCG-3041 and imported Sievers 900 in the range of 0.1-1 ppb was only 2.3%, but the annual comprehensive cost savings exceeded 120000 yuan. With the policy support of "Made in China 2025" for the localization of semiconductor equipment, this domestically produced equipment is rapidly replacing imported products and has entered the supply chains of multiple semiconductor companies.
With the advancement of 3nm and 2nm processes, the detection of TOC in ultrapure water will face severe challenges below 0.1ppb. TOCG-3041 has initiated a research and development project with a detection limit of 0.05ppb through continuous technological iteration, and plans to introduce artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize oxidation efficiency. Under the wave of semiconductor localization, this device is not only a precision instrument for water quality monitoring, but also an important equipment for breaking through international technological barriers - when every organic molecule may affect chip quality, precise detection is the key support to ensure yield.