Where it fits
This cartridge sits on the chemical supply side of the lithography module: the last filtration step before photoresist, thinner, developer and edge bead remover reach the wafer. Coating gives no second chance — one particle carried through is one defect on the wafer — so this element sits directly on yield.
Key characteristics
Nylon 66 is a naturally hydrophilic membrane that wets out with ultrapure water alone, so no isopropanol pre-wet procedure is needed. Dropping the alcohol introduction and displacement step after a change-out shortens start-up and removes one route for residual solvent to reach the process chemistry.
What lithography really cares about is organic cleanliness: solvents extract organics out of the filter materials and those go onto the wafer with the chemistry. Organic extraction in solvents is very low here, metal cleanliness is selectable at < 3 or < 25 µg/device, and assembly and packing are done in a cleanroom.
Choosing between options
The two workhorse lithography cartridges differ in wettability and available ratings:
| Item | Nylon 66 (this) | UPE |
|---|---|---|
| Membrane | Nylon 66, naturally hydrophilic | UPE, hydrophobic |
| Rating | 2 nm – 0.1 µm | 2 nm – 0.2 µm |
| Diameter / area | Ø68 mm, 0.7 or 1.3 m2 per 10" | Ø68 1.2 m2 / Ø83 1.8 m2 per 10" |
| Choose it when | Aqueous or polar chemistry, alcohol-free start-up wanted | Gel capture in photoresist, more membrane area needed |
Operation & change-out
Wet out with ultrapure water. When moving to a solvent-based chemistry, displace stepwise with that solvent rather than switching in one go. Maximum forward ΔP is 0.34 MPa and reverse 0.24 MPa, with a 40 °C ceiling.