Control and maintain the Semiconductor Manufacturing Process

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This standard identifies the competences you need to control and maintain the Semiconductor Manufacturing Process (SMP) in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to use appropriate work instructions and information to ensure that the SMP is operating in accordance with the specification required and to identify deviations and take remedial action where this is not the case to ensure optimal, safe and high quality production of a finished product.

The SMPs relevant to this standard are:

• Oxidation
• Photolithography
• Epitaxy
• Etching
• Deposition
• Doping
• Surface Mount Technology
• Packaging

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the work activities associated with the control and maintenance of the semiconductor manufacturing processes, and to report any problems with the work activities, equipment (including plant) or materials that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people.  You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you produce.

You will understand the techniques used, and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification. 

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the activities and when using the associated tools and equipment.  You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and relevant others in the workplace.

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1. access and accurately interpret all work instructions and information relevant to the control and maintenance of the semiconductor manufacturing processes
2. work safely at all times and in accordance with all relevant legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols
3. deal promptly and effectively with any problems within your control and report those which cannot be solved
4. identify and minimise hazards and risk in the workplace
5. access and gather the appropriate equipment, accessories and components to carry out the work activities
6. wear PPE in accordance with organisational procedures
7. ensure you have the necessary specification and operating parameters
8. ensure that the operating parameters are set
9. ensure that equipment and materials are ready for the processing operation
10. ensure that controls are set correctly as contained in the operating instructions
11. obtain operation data, and analyse by appropriate methods and techniques
12. adjust controls when necessary to produce specified quality and minimise waste
13. recognise deviations from the operating parameters
14. identify possible faults and causes of deviations from the operating parameters
15. investigate all of the possible faults and causes of the problem
16. identify the faults and causes of the problem
17. take relevant corrective action to restore process to within required operating parameters
18. check that the process is operating according to specification and within operating parameters
19. organise the taking of samples with relevant others
20. take representative samples at the specified time from the specified place when required
21. follow procedure for testing samples in accordance with organisational procedures
22. interpret sample results and take any necessary action
23. communicate, if required, with relevant others
24. complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational procedures
25. dispose of waste in accordance with organisational procedures
26. leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the work activities in accordance with organisational procedures

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1. the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere
2. the scope and limitations of your own competence, responsibilities and accountability as it applies to your job role
3. how to access and interpret all relevant work instructions and information
4. specific procedures for reporting issues which are beyond your competence, responsibilities and accountability
5. the duty to report any acts or omissions that could be unsafe/detrimental to you or relevant others
6. the hazards and risks which may arise during the execution of your work role and how you can minimise these
7. how to select, put on and remove PPE
8. the correct use of equipment to protect the health and safety of you and relevant others
9. how to obtain the authority to enter the relevant work areas and any specific permit-to-work procedures that are used
10. the meaning of terms used in operating instructions
11. how to check that the equipment and materials are ready for processing
12. the importance of checking materials is as specified
13. the importance of checking that controls are as specified in the operating instructions
14. methods of obtaining process data, and how to analyse and interpret the data
15. how to adjust the process to meet the specified quality
16. what deviations may occur from the norm, and how to recognise them
17. what consequences can occur with deviations from the norm
18. the importance of remedial action
19. methods of investigating faults and causes
20. how to analyse information and identify faults and causes of the problem
21. how to obtain representative samples and why it is important
22. how to label samples correctly and why it is important
23. the correct method/procedure for testing samples
24. how to interpret sample results
25. what corrective action to take
26. how to control the process quality
27. the importance of minimising waste in the process
28. the importance of the work specification and operating parameters
29. the importance of regularly check operating parameters and ensuring they are being adhered to
30. the importance of communication, and of keeping relevant others informed during the operation
31. when it may be important to observe issues around security and confidentiality
32. what problems may occur in the operation and how to deal with them
33. the procedures and methods relating to the coordination of individuals and teams within and across services
34. how to dispose of waste in accordance with organisational procedures
35. how to complete and safely store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational procedures

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Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes

• Oxidation

  • Removing impurities (diffusion/CMP)
  • Dry Oxidation
  • Wet Oxidation

• Photolithography

  • Coat
  • Expose
  • Develop
  • Inspect

• Epitaxy

  • Molecular beam method

• Etching

  • Wet etching (isotropic/anisotropic)
  • Dry etching (chemical sputtering; reactive Ion (RIE)

• Deposition

  • Wet deposition
  • Dry deposition

• Doping

  • Ion implantation

• Surface Mount Technology

• Packaging

  • Interconnecting
  • Passivation
  • Wafer sawing
  • Wafer attachment
  • Bonding
  • Encapsulation/Moulding

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Work instructions and information

• Drawings
• Specifications
• Method statements
• Work schedules/programmes
• Manufacturer instructions
• Environmental requirements
• Sustainability requirements

* *

* *

Equipment, accessories and components

• Hand tools
• Power tools
• Access equipment
• Safety equipment (including PPE)
• In-situ equipment
• Materials
• Consumables
• Plant

* *

Work area

• Clean room
• Non-clean room

* *

Organisational procedures

• accident reporting
• communication
• customer services
• emergencies
• implementing and monitoring health and safety requirements and issues
• implementing and monitoring issues relating to the environment and sustainability
• information management
• project management
• risk assessment

* *

Relevant others

• client representatives
• customers/clients
• service providers
• site/contract/production manager
• supervisors
• work colleagues