4
A200 SMIF POD
User Manual | Entegris, Inc.
90-DAY PROCEDURES
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POD CLEANING
The SMIF Pod provides a self-contained mini environ-
ment for the protection of the product contained
inside it. It protects the product from outside contam-
ination when storing or moving the product from one
location to another. The SMIF Pod will become dirty
or contaminated during normal use by failed seals
on process tools, broken wafers, process chemical
exposure, and general handling.
General Guidelines
Frequency (est.)
Every 90 days
Before each new lot of wafers
After a cleanliness event
Time to perform
Variable
Required parts
None
Required tools
and equipment
Pod opener, screwdriver,
cleaning equipment
Procedures
Shell Assembly
• The shell assembly may be cleaned using all avail-
able cleaning technologies. Whether wet or dry,
rotation, immersion, or spray process depends on
your specific requirements and budget priorities.
Experience has shown that in most cases, the spray
process provides sufficient cleanliness.
• Entegris supports both the use of no and very low
concentrations of surfactants, followed by a pure
DI water rinse.
• All process or drying temperatures of hot DI water
and clean dry air or nitrogen shall never exceed
60°C (140°F).
• To manually separate the shell from the door,
Entegris offers a small hand tool, but there are
also more sophisticated and automatic pod
openers available.
• The shell assembly can be cleaned as one piece,
however some immersion processes may cause
water to be forced into areas where parts are
screwed to the assembly. If testing shows water
traps, drying conditions may be changed in the
tool or disassembly may be required. Certain
cleaning processes may also affect the waferlock
mechanism and require removal of the waferlock
to prevent damage.
Door Assembly
• The door assembly may be cleaned by hand. Wipe
down with isopropyl alcohol or DI water.
• The gasket should be removed prior to cleaning,
inspected for signs of wear or discoloration, and
replaced yearly. Entegris offers a special tool to
correctly and easily seat the gasket in the door
gasket grooves after the wipe down, if necessary.
• Immersion and spray washes are not recom-
mended for the door.
After cleaning of shell and door is complete, they
should be assembled together as quickly as possible
to keep the product’s internal mini environment as
clean as possible. If any residual humidity is visual, the
drying cycle shall be repeated.
VISUAL INSPECTION
Visually inspect the pod for damaged parts and
surfaces that could affect pod performance. This
inspection can easily be performed in conjunction
with pod cleaning.
General Guidelines
Frequency (est.)
Every 90 days or before each
new lot of wafers
Time to perform (est.)
2 minutes, 30 seconds
Required parts
None
Required tools
and equipment
None; wafer inspection light
recommended
