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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hi Chris,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Good to hear! LLNL picked up one of these Accu-Seal systems within the last year. It’s basically a heat-sealed bagging system with options for either vacuum or inert gas
fill (N2, Ar, your choice).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><a href="https://accu-seal.com/model-675-smartvac2-bag-sealer-impulse-heat/">https://accu-seal.com/model-675-smartvac2-bag-sealer-impulse-heat/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">This might be a faster and more economical alternative to a FOUP. If you want to try it first, perhaps to quantify native oxide regrowth after bagging, we can make that happen.
I’m only 45 minutes away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Travis Massey, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Operations Manager | Center for Micro and Nano Technology (CMNT)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Staff Scientist | Center for Bioengineering, Implantable Microsystems Group<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">7000 East Avenue, L-222<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Livermore, CA 94550<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">925-495-7103 (cell/text) | 925-422-9509 (desk/vm)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Christopher Raum<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, May 20, 2025 11:56 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [labnetwork] An R&D FOUP<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I work between two fabs at UC Berkeley and part of my process flow involves shuttling wafers between those two fabs to their respective tools.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Currently I use a wafer box and double bag to ensure the wafers aren't contaminated by the environment outside the two fab labs. This is generally standard practice for transporting wafers outside a cleanroom.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">But there are more complicated concerns. For example one fab lab has a wetbench used to remove native oxide from wafers, and when the next tool in the flow is in the same fab, I can minimize the regrowth of native oxide - but when I need
to transfer between fabs regrowth can become an issue.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">In industry they use a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) to move wafers around while controlling the environment the wafers sees. The pods can be purged with nitrogen (and perhaps placed under vacuum?) and I think they can also be light
tight to allow PR coated wafers to be transported in unfiltered light.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://urldefense.us/v3/__https:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOUP__;!!G2kpM7uM-TzIFchu!xXYGIqBlgS7Le4Za8tr2ifZ0wMGkbtkwRUOajwOg1qxuMwRsl6mbszS3s2hyUoD3V4Lfx9-UORxTvIkz$">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOUP</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Since it's the industry that uses FOUPs, all the systems are for 12" and above wafers. I know I could never be so lucky, but I'll ask anyway - does anyone know of any FOUP systems that are fitted for six inch wafers?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Outside that possibility, my ask for the community is: Is there an interest in developing such a system? Some sort of crowdsourcing? There are many members of industry in this mailing list and I'm sure there would be quite a few academic
and research customers if someone wanted to develop and fabricate such a wafer transportation system.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I hope this post stimulates some interesting discussion.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">-Chris<o:p></o:p></p>
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