Energy efficient dry-storage systems in the semiconductor manufacturing industry

The semiconductor industry is a rapidly-changing one and many new electronic devices are being developed every year. As components get smaller and thinner, humidity-related problems increase since moisture can easily penetrate to critical areas. There are various techniques to prevent moisture ingress during manufacturing and assembly. One of the best methods is to store semiconductor devices in dry storage enclosures (also known as Dry Boxes) between consequent processes and operations. However, since they are typically supplied with Compressed Dry Air (CDA), Dry Boxes tend to be energy intensive. By using an industrial setup at a manufacturing facility in Malta as a case study, an empirical assessment was carried out to investigate the use of Dry Boxes from an energy consumption perspective. The energy performance of Dry Boxes using CDA was compared to that of Dry Boxes using a desiccant-rotor technology. The relative humidity and air temperature inside the Dry Box were monitored in order to assess the behaviour of both technologies with time. An analysis of the Dry Box conditions was conducted to better understand the sources of any existing losses and to identify whether scope for improvement, if any, existed. The study showed that even if the drying technology on the supply side is not changed, improvements on the demand side can have an effective reduction in resource consumption. Using the desiccant rotor instead of CDA to dehumidify the Dry Box did not decrease the energy consumption. However, it was positively concluded that by reducing the infiltration rate and the unoccupied internal volume of the Dry Box, the CDA consumption and hence the energy and carbon footprint of the process decreased by 26%, contributing towards the sustainability goals of the manufacturing industry.