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Improper (excessive) tightening of carrier locator screws can result in screw breakage at time of install or failure over time due to high stress.

Problems due to attempted restart of system software before complete shutdown of previous session.

Complete Listing of the Technical Bulletins issued by Akrion Systems to date.

Lack of regular preventive maintenance effects the reliability of the tool performance and could cause premature failures of 3-post, 4-post and 6-post wafer chucks.

QDR or EEWD tanks do not fill and/or drain when dump piston is activated.

Preventative maintenance: recommendations for enhancing performance longevity

Safety issue: robot support block needed for certain types of robot maintenance

Computer hardware changes may require new authentication code

For software versions 6.06.018 and earlier, maximum size for backup media is 2 GB

Mini-environment VFD fan controllers used on GAMA and E200 are obsolete

150mm lower and upper rods (204759-001 and 204760-001) have a solid center section that will change to a continuous row of slots.

Scheduling errors can occur if temporary (.tmp) files generated by the software’s Auto Recovery feature are not routinely deleted and the computer has not been completely powered down to allow the scheduler timer to properly reset.

When the IN-USA Ozone Cabinet is powered back up it will not generate ozone when asked to do so by wet station software.

V3 stations equipped with Minute Man Endeavor series UPS systems require slightly modified start-up procedure

Valves may not adequately vent pressure and auto-discharge without alarm.

Customers running V3 software prior to 6.07.00 must maintain a secure backup of their current software.

Gen 3 robot systems requiring software upgrade to version 6.06.016 or higher need vertical speed adjustments .

Incorrect 75 Hz resolution setting causes the user interface monitor display to shift to the right and also introduces screen “flicker.”

GAMA DeviceNet and V3 heater circuits require alterations or setup configuration changes to ensure any over temperature (OT) condition/ alarm disables the heater until a manual reset has occurred.

In-line resistive heaters and heat exchangers may leak from the flange.

Ordering information for programmed robot motor controllers & amplifiers

Logos & filenames in the AKS wet station software have been changed to reflect the Akrion Systems name

Inventory iClean Pressure Vessels

GAMA restart sequence after non-controlled shutdown

Warranty extended

Potential valve failure

Parts made of Delrin® are now available in ULTEM®, a harder material less prone to wear in these select applications. ULTEM® is amber in color.

Electronic flow controllers may be damaged and may not zero if over-pressurized.

Wet stations having lidded tanks can be at risk for robot/lid collisions when running recipes that use dip moves.

To prevent unnecessary down time, Akrion recommends refraining from attempting any changes to the screen display by use of the magnetic wand.

Installation of new motor gear head may require mounting plate .

Replace the LuCID2 hot N2 straight Teflon tube with Akrion PN 230545-001.

REVISED (6/29/2007): Direct replacement of Model PW5119 with Model PW5125 has been obsoleted. Use Kit 229480 001 to upgrade from Model PW5119 to Model PW5125. If the wet station currently has a Model PW5125 installed, individual components of Kit 229480-001 can be ordered and installed to eliminate nuisance power downs.

Ozone flow kits plumbed with Kel-F (PCTFE) tubing may be prone to leaks. Although the Kel-F may be less permeable than PFA tubing, this advantage is offset by its propensity to become brittle and crack after prolonged exposure to highconcentration ozone.

Akrion has made available a Windows 2000 Bench software Rev 6.0 and higher) compatible software patch for the 2007 Daylight Saving Time (DST) correction. This only affects computers in North America. This time adjustment does not affect Asia or Europe.

The official listing of Akrion Recommended Filter Elements for GAMA, i-Clean and V3 is now a controlled document – OP2042.

Genius I/O PCI cards in GAMA wet station must have the four Dip switches set to the OFF position

Correct software for Genius I/O PCI cards (supercedes Bulletin 55-below)

LuCID2 Sensor detection issue during slow drain cycle

GAMA Genius I/O Interface Board Reset

LuCID2 Dryer Drain Rate Inconsistency

Correct Setup for Megasonic Control System

LuCID2 Dryer Hot N2 Line Leaks

LuCID2 Rod Adjuster must be inspected for correct tolerances.

When Charting and Trending is used on an on-going basis perform computer maintenance to free up hard drive space monthly.

Improper programming of the EE Wash Dry Matrix due to changes in matrix layout.

Erratic operation of tank lids due to inconsistent facilities water pressure. (City water pressure supply must be between 45 to 55psig)

Proper wet station shutdown and startup practices.

This upgrade is part of Akrion’s continuous improvement program (CIP) and brings the LuCID dryer in line with current standards for Akrion LuCID2 dryers.

As part of Akrion’s continuous improvement program (CIP), Akrion is introducing a new robot product detection sensor that provides better performance and increased reliability.

Random faults not contributed to failed components: exhaust, phase monitor, UPS,and robot (fails to reset)

Akrion has implemented a new policy for ordering replacement computers for all Akrion wet stations. The only computer components that can be individually replaced in the field are I/O cards. If the problem can be isolated to an I/O card, order the appropriate card and replace it. When computer based issues are not the result of failed I/O cards, the entire computer MUST be replaced.

As part of Akrion’s continuous improvement program (CIP), Akrion is introducing an upgraded capacitive sensor for the sensing of the liquid level in the LuCID dryer process tank. This upgraded sensor version is equipped with a moisture-compensating feature, which enhances and improves the sensor functionality and reliability. Therefore the use of the “sensor pads” (gasket) is no longer required.

Megasonic transducer BNC connectors are difficult to install and remove using needle nose pliers. Often, entire tank and frame assemblies must be removed to access the BNC connectors.

Not reporting missed dropoff error for cassette style queues. This problem only exists on benches that are configured to process two cassette lots. The failure of the system to recognize a missing cassette at the queue can cause wafer breakage since if the cassette is not on the queue it must be somewhere else within the station.

A power-loss/EMO induced AKS computer shutdown may result in irreparable CPU damage if the computer’s internal UPS cannot supply backup power to allow a sequential shutdown of the system.

Replacement spare parts are needed to service Single and Double Column DI Water Heater equipped with second generation solid state relays and CC8-c Comparator Boards.

New Solid State Relay Kits must now be used to replace/upgrade Single of Double Column DI Water Heater electrical systems. The first generation SSRs used to upgrade mercury relays are now obsolete.

Description of method to prevent “over process time.” errors.

In the event of a LuCID MFC failure, the Akrion MFC Fix Kit can prevent bench down time until a new MFC arrives on site.

Plenum door latches and handles may wear/break over time.

Akrion sensor (202908) used for product detection on both GAMA and Rearmount wet station robots use a 4 amp, 24VDC relay (RLY1B0065) in their circuit. This relay had a specific pin configuration and associated schematic printed on its side. This pin configuration and schematic were also included on drawings 202879 and 202880 issued with the kits for upgrading from older SICK sensors to the newer 202908 sensors. At some unknown time, the relay vendor began supplying a new relay for this associated part number with a different pin configuration. These changes have not been incorporated into the drawings and have caused confusion in the field.

Customer requested equipment modifications performed in the field that have not been provided through a Product Enhancement, cannot be supported reliably from the factory when asking for trouble shooting and/or parts logistics assistance.

Computer viruses can affect the performance or stability of the Akrion Software and damage computer hardware systems.

CPU cooling fans are secured to the computer motherboard using a clip. This clip can become loose or dislodged during shipment, impairing the fan’s ability to cool the CPU. Software engineering reports that computers have failed due to problems caused by a loose or dislodged CPU cooling fan.

DMC2 servo drives are factory programmed for use with specific servo motor types from different manufacturer sources. Commonly named M406D or S32, the different motor types require specific DMC2 configuration programming files to match the motor type to the servo drive setup. Mixing the wrong motor types with the wrong DMC2 program type will result in undesirable robot operation and failures.

Loose hex-lug power bus connections on the main power feed wires (L1, L2, and L3) and input/output lugged connections of both the main circuit breaker CB1 and main contactor K100, have been isolated as sources for voltage anomalies which have led to component failures in the main power branch circuits.

Ceramic shuttles which have top and bottom elbow fittings, may stall after one year of continued use due to normal wear and tear.

An improperly plumbed, reverse flow, quartz in-line heater will trap gasses within the quartz chamber, and accelerate the etching of the quartz. The quartz will leak, activate the heater leak capacitive sensor and irreparably damage the heater.

Drawings are no longer produced or maintained for computer card parts identification or board placement. Many benches supplied with NT computers were issued Blueprints manuals having an outdated reference drawing such as COM009785 to show card placement. The materials list is not the BOM of the fully loaded NT computer. Ordering parts from any document other than the latest fully loaded computer BOM specific to a bench, may lead to the inaccurate ordering and supply of parts.

Mini environments (ME) equipped with a door latch (interlock) feature may not pop the door open/ajar when the door request button is pressed. If the door is not manually opened in several seconds, the door request open time expires, and problems can occur. For example, the wafer transfer unit may lock up and not load/unload product, or it may move to a position that does not allow the equipment operator to access the load/unload area.

The size of the buss wire has increased from 10 gauge to 8 gauge for both the 8 kW (207433-001) and 4.5 kW (207433-002) heaters. Plenum feed through holes/fittings sized for 10 gauge wire are too small for 8 gauge power wires.

All low temperature single and dual filter housing assemblies are mounted with four screws per bowl – affixed to a tapped mounting plate which is in turn welded to a plenum side-wall supporting bracket. Reported field data has shown that some, not 100%, of the filter housing mounting plate-to-bracket welds have cracked.

Shuttle and lift/pop-up queue position incandescent indicator lamps (green – shuttle locked, red – shuttle down) were prone to premature failure due to shuttles being slammed in and out.

Akrion ICE-1™ Control modules (part numbers SNS1A0030, SNS1A0029, SNS1A0031, and 211249-001) are no longer available. The drop-in replacement for theseobsolete analog only modules is the next generation Akrion ICE-1™ Control Module, (part number 218422-001).

Akrion now recommends a Clean Point Unit inlet filter element pore size of .01um and a CPU outlet filter element pore size of .04um. This larger to smaller pore size in the liquid flow path will improve the filtration efficiency that is lacking in the original OEM design. In addition, the .04um outlet filter has been upgraded. The Akrion part number of the .04um filter is 215143-001 (rev B).

Stainless steel lid actuator cylinders (205805-001) on Series 3 solvent process tank auto-lids (202951-001 and 215482-001) are a wear item that requires periodic inspection and replacement to prevent lid operation malfunctions.