Next-Generation Contamination Control Unveiled at SEMICON West

Microfier Technology rolled out its revolutionary new technology for separation and contamination control in liquids at SEMICON's Technology Innovation Showcase last week. It offers several industry firsts for semiconductor fabs and materials suppliers. The technology is moving from technical development to commercialization stage, and the inventor is scouting collaborators and investors.

(PRWEB) July 24, 2004 -- At SEMICON West 2004 last week, inventor Glen Wildermuth introduced his next-generation Microfier (R) technology for contamination control and separations in liquids. SEMICON West is the worlds largest trade exhibition for semiconductor equipment and materials vendors, and attracts exhibitors and customers from all over the globe.

The new technology is revolutionary because physics promises it will perform better as requirements tighten. This is important news for the semiconductor industry, where ever stricter requirements are an established fact of life as efforts continue to load more and more circuit features on smaller computer chips.

Other trend-setting improvements of the technology include a self-cleaning capability that eliminates the risk of accidental contamination in high-purity liquid systems by making periodic manual intervention unnecessary. This means systems could remain sealed for up to the life of the installation.

Performance data gathered at an independent ultrapure water lab suggests that multiple units could be staged end-to-end to produce unusually high levels of purity, and the absence of membranes eliminates both pressure drop and surfaces in contact with the product stream that could become contamination nucleation sites. While offering these advantages, it is believed that initial and operating costs would be very competitive with traditional methods.

The technology received favorable attention at SEMICON's Technology Innovation Showcase in San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. Semiconductor applications would include ultrapure water and other process liquids, and the technology shows promise for use in other industries such as pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum.

Microfier technology works on the principle that contaminants in liquids have an electrical charge on them. By carefully establishing the proper electric field in the liquid, the contaminants can be attracted or repelled to designated areas in the chamber where controlled flow sweeps them into a recycle or disposal discharge tube. This leaves purified liquid to proceed on to the chambers product outlet.

Microfier Technology is currently scouting collaborators and investors to help convert its technology into a commercial product. Wildermuth has a working prototype, as well as a patent protecting the intellectual property rights. He, his father, and an associate developed and built the prototype in a garage, echoing a tradition of other notable semiconductor industry startups.

Wildermuth is a native of St. Louis, but has worked in semiconductor manufacturing facilities worldwide for over 20 years. He is a registered professional engineer (Missouri), and holds degrees from Westminster College (Fulton, MO) and Washington University (St. Louis).

###