MKS and X-Fab Texas Form Alliance at Facility in Lubbock

MKS Instruments, Inc., a leading supplier of gas flow control products for the semiconductor and thin film industries, is proud to announce that it has formed an alliance with X-Fab Texas in support of all flow products. The Texas semiconductor wafer foundry has selected MKS brand mass flow controllers (MFCs) for all wafer process tools at its Lubbock, Texas facility. X-Fab Texas has standardized on the MKS Type 1179 MFC for non-corrosive and the Type 1479 MFC for corrosive applications. In addition to these standard thermal mass flow controllers, X-Fab Texas is outfitting tools with MKS pressure-based mass flow controllers for low vapor source materials and advanced material delivery applications. Additionally, MKS will provide in situ MFC verification with the installation of the company's Mass Flow Verifier (MFV).

MKS and X-Fab Texas are in agreement that the formation of this alliance will benefit both parties. MKS will support the Lubbock facility from its regional office in Richardson, Texas. "It is our goal to assist X-Fab Texas in its pursuit of improvements throughout the fab, whether or not the tools presently utilize MKS flow products," stated Robert Klimm, MKS Vice President for Materials Delivery and Analysis. "The Richardson facility has the capacity to calibrate and repair flow products in addition to the company's pressure and vacuum products. We have committed the necessary resources to X-Fab Texas to assure that tool down situations relating to mass flow controllers will be reduced and ultimately eliminated."

X-Fab Texas is part of X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries, AG. X-FAB ( "The mixed signal foundry experts") has wafer fab operations in Lubbock, Texas and Erfurt, Germany. X-FAB is a specialist foundry supplier with a primary focus on the production of mixed-signal integrated circuit applications. The recent increase in the company's business has led X-Fab Texas to require greater Overall Equipment Efficiencies (OEE) on the tools in operation. In support of this, MKS has developed a site-specific plan to provide X-Fab Texas with applications and engineering support.

Types 1179 and 1479 are general-purpose mass flow controllers that measure and control the flow of gases in a wide variety of applications and are available with full-scale ranges from 10 sccm to 20 slm. These devices provide fast, repeatable flow control rates from flows below 1 sccm. These MFCs are direct "form-fit-function" counterparts to most common MFCs on the market today and are drop-in replacements in existing gas delivery lines.

X-FAB is a registered trademark of X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries, GmbH, Erfurt, Germany.

Article provided by: MKS, Mass-Flo® & Advanced Materials Delivery Products