New iXH645H dry vacuum pump requires minimal maintenance and maximizes uptime in harsh manufacturing environments

Edwards (NASDAQ: EVAC), a leading manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products and abatement systems and a leading provider of related value-added services, today introduced the new iXH645H dry pump. The new pump has been optimized for MOCVD processes used in LED manufacturing, as well as for compound semiconductor manufacturing using III-V materials in gate stacks.

The iXH645H delivers very high gas flow capability and is able to operate continuously at the high loads required for the latest-generation LED manufacturing tools. The advanced technology of the iXH pump minimizes maintenance requirements and maximizes pump uptimes, helping to lower cost-of-ownership.

“This new addition to our iXH family of dry pumps is designed to address the needs of two rapidly growing segments of high technology manufacturing,” said Wei Shao, Edwards’ LED market sector manager. “Due to their superior lighting efficiency, LEDs are increasingly being seen as an environmentally-friendly alternative to incandescent lighting, as shown by recent legislation passed in China, Korea, Japan and the U.K to phase out traditional high power lighting.”

Shao adds, “At the same time, the use of III-V materials in compound semiconductor manufacturing is enabling the continuation of Moore’s Law to next-generation design nodes.”

Both LED and compound semiconductor manufacturing processes typically use high flows of light hydrogen and highly-corrosive ammonia gasses. The iXH645H has been optimized to support these requirements with superior hydrogen pumping performance and a corrosion-resistant design, including a patented nitrogen purge barrier to protect the pump seals. The high-temperature capabilities of the pump help prevent condensation of the phosphorous compounds which may be present. In addition, its advanced oil lubrication and seal technology eliminate periodic maintenance requirements, while its thermal and motor design prevent overheating, motor overloads or zones of limited operation. The pump’s optimized temperature control system ensures the pump is ready for process within approximately 30 minutes of start-up.

Visit Edwards at booth 5351 in the North Hall during InterSolar and SEMICON/West, taking place July 10-12, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif., to learn more about the iXH Series.