Adapting to precise temperature control for semiconductor innovation

Temperature has wide-ranging impacts on the quality of smaller and multilayered semiconductor products, which are essential to building a highly digitalized society. NX-HTC, with its ability to save space and visualize feature values, helps improving quality and productivity while delivering rigorous temperature control.

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NX-HTC controls multi points while keeps the footprint

Cannot maintain footprint because additional equipment is needed to increase in temperature control subjects

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Delivers multipoint control within existing footprint

A single NX-HTC unit, which can control 8 channels,*1 takes up 40% less width than 2 units of our previous model, NXTC, which has 4 channels per unit.

*1 When using standard control

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Save more space by using together with XW2K ultra-compact interface wiring system

Save more in-panel space with the industry’s smallest ultra-compact interface wiring system and cables that reduce wiring.

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Higher resolution enables adaptation to fine process precision

Finer temperature control required for high-precision processing of smaller workpieces

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Wide-range, high-resolution temperature control

High-resolution (0.01) control over wide temperature range enables high-precision temperature control, even in high temperatures.

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Supports universal input and works with infrared thermosensor

Because equipment mechanism temperatures impact quality in high-precision processing of smaller workpieces, temperatures of many different points (e.g., pipes and valves) must be measured

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With Infrared thermosensors NX-HTC can control temperature and monitor equipment mechanism temperature

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• Measurement temperature -50 to 500°C and -50 to 1,000°C types.
• High accuracy and fast measurement with ±0.5℃ reproducibility and a 0.14-second (95%) response time.
• You can use the ES1-TOOLS dedicated software (free download from our website) as a setting tool to monitor temperature and change the emissivity, moving average function, and output range.
• Full lineup of laser pointer types

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Reduction of production yield by detecting slight temperature profile fluctuations due to changes in conditions such as workpieces, equipment and environment

• Warping of wafers caused by unpredictable disturbances and othe changes in workpieces and equipment (e.g.,sensor position deviation or deterioration of heater) reduce yield
• When defect occurs, it takes time to identify the effect and investigate the cause.

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Examples of workpiece, equipment and environmental changes

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About Feature Visualization function

Feature Visualization is a function which automatically calculates 12 types of feature values. Those values are based on Omron's knowledge garnered through our years of experience in temperature control experience, most strongly reflect workpiece, equipment, and environmental changes. The values are calculated from temperature and manipulated variable during production. Monitoring these values allows for detection of slight changes in temperature profile caused by workpiece, equipment and environmental changes.

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NX-HTC automatically converts temperature fluctuations and manipulated variables during temperature rise into feature values

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Monitors trends in feature value data to detect workpiece, equipment and environmental changes

NX-HTC contributes to reduce defects by providing feature values which users can use for managing equipment conditions quantitatively and catching unusual equipment conditions early.

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Maximize quality and production capacity by minimizing temperature fluctuations caused by routine disturbances

• The advanced packaging and high integration of semiconductors have made stringent temperature control a must; temperature variations caused by routine disturbance impact quality
• Wait time until temperature variations caused by routine disturbances stabilize hampers improvements in production capacity

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Automatically suppresses temperature variations caused by routine disturbances

NX-HTC and NX-TC provide stable automatic control against foreseeable temperature variations, e.g. those caused by outside air infiltration when doors are opened and closed. NX-HTC and NX-TC contribute to quality improvement and help boost production capacity by reducing the wait time until temperature stabilization.

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Helps boost production capacity

By suppressing temperature variations, reduces wait time until temperature stabilizes by up to 80%

*Data measured by OMRON

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Disruption Suppression Feature minimizes temperature deviations

The Disturbance Suppression Function is a control function that automatically suppresses temperature variations that are expected to be caused by foreseeable disturbances. Trigger signals input to the temperature controller before these disturbances occur turn the function on, which adds to or subtracts from the manipulated variable (MV). Disturbance autotuning automatically adjusts the FF (feedforward) MV, FF operation time, and FF waiting time.