Differences between FFU and Laminar Flow Hood in Semiconductor Dust - free Workshop
2024.10.28
  • Under the high - cleanliness environmental requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, air - purification equipment in semiconductor dust - free workshops plays a crucial role. Among them,FFU (Fan Filter Unit) and laminar flow hoods are commonly used purification equipment, but there are some differences in their functions, structures, and application scenarios. Today, Guangzhou Kunling Purification Equipment Co., Ltd. will interpret in detail the differences between FFU and laminar flow hoods in semiconductor dust - free workshops for you.
0
1. Definition and Principle
FFU
FFU is an air - filtering and purifying unit with its own fan. It usually consists of a fan, a high - efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or an ultra - high - efficiency particulate air (ULPA) filter, and a cabinet. Its working principle is that the fan sucks in air, which is filtered by the high - efficiency filter, and then clean air is sent out at a uniform wind speed into the dust - free workshop. The fan of the FFU provides power, enabling air to circulate throughout the system, continuously filtering out pollutants such as dust particles in the air, thereby maintaining the cleanliness level in the workshop.
Laminar Flow Hood
A laminar flow hood is an air - purification device that can provide a locally high - cleanliness environment. It mainly consists of a fan, a filter, a plenum chamber, and a housing. The working principle of the laminar flow hood is that the fan sucks air into the plenum chamber, which is filtered and then clean air is sent out in a laminar flow manner to the working area. The laminar flow hood effectively prevents external pollutants from entering the working area by forming a unidirectional and stable air - flow layer, thus ensuring the cleanliness of the area.
2. Structural Features
FFU
  1. Integration of Fan and Filter: The fan and filter of the FFU are tightly integrated within a single unit, with a compact structure and small footprint. This integrated design enables the air, after being pressurized by the fan, to directly enter the filter for filtration, reducing the pressure loss in the pipeline and the possibility of secondary pollution.
  2. Modular Design: FFUs usually adopt a modular design, and multiple FFU units can be combined to form a large - scale air - purification system. Each unit has an independent power supply and control system, which is convenient for installation, commissioning, and maintenance. In semiconductor dust - free workshops, FFU units can be flexibly arranged according to the workshop layout and cleanliness requirements to achieve air purification in different areas.
  3. Diverse Cabinet Materials: The cabinet of the FFU is generally made of materials such as aluminum alloy and stainless steel, having good strength and corrosion resistance, and can adapt to the special environment of the dust - free workshop. The surface of the cabinet is usually specially treated, such as electrostatic spraying, to reduce dust adsorption.
Laminar Flow Hood
  1. Plenum Chamber Structure: The laminar flow hood has a plenum chamber, whose function is to evenly distribute the pressure of the air before it enters the filter, thereby ensuring a uniform and stable air - flow velocity through the filter. The plenum chamber can effectively reduce turbulence and vortex phenomena in the air - flow, improve the laminar flow effect, and ensure that the sent - out air has better cleanliness and uniformity.
  2. Various Forms of Housings: The laminar flow hood has various forms of housings, including open - type, closed - type, and semi - closed - type. The open - type laminar flow hood is suitable for occasions with relatively low environmental requirements, and it can be conveniently used in combination with other equipment; the closed - type laminar flow hood provides better isolation effect and is suitable for high - cleanliness process operations; the semi - closed - type laminar flow hood is in between, having both certain openness and isolation.
  3. Flexible Installation Methods: The laminar flow hood can be installed by hanging, wall - mounting, or using brackets, and can be flexibly installed according to the actual site and process requirements. For example, in some areas with limited space, a wall - mounted laminar flow hood can be chosen, which does not occupy floor space; for the situation where local purification of specific equipment is required, a hanging laminar flow hood can be installed above the equipment to directly purify the working area of the equipment.
3. Performance Characteristics
FFU
  1. High Cleanliness: Equipped with high - efficiency or ultra - high - efficiency filters, FFU can effectively filter tiny particles in the air and can achieve a relatively high cleanliness level. It is generally suitable for semiconductor dust - free workshops with cleanliness requirements of Class 1 - Class 1000 or even higher.
  2. Good Wind - speed Uniformity: Through reasonable design and the action of the fan, FFU can provide a relatively uniform wind - speed distribution, ensuring stable air - flow in the entire purification area, reducing local vortex and turbulent flow phenomena, which is beneficial to maintaining the stability of cleanliness.
  3. Energy - saving Effect: Some advanced FFUs adopt variable - frequency speed - regulation technology, which can adjust the rotation speed of the fan according to actual requirements, thereby achieving energy - saving operation. In semiconductor dust - free workshops, when the load of production equipment changes, FFU can adjust the wind - speed accordingly to reduce energy consumption while meeting the cleanliness requirements.
  4. Low Noise: The fan of the FFU has been optimized and noise - reduced, and it operates with low noise, which will not cause too much interference to the production and workers in the dust - free workshop. Especially in some semiconductor production processes with strict noise requirements, low - noise FFUs are more suitable.
Laminar Flow Hood
  1. Guarantee of Local High Cleanliness: The laminar flow hood mainly provides a high - cleanliness air environment for specific local areas. It can form a unidirectional laminar air - flow within the working area, effectively preventing the intrusion of external pollutants and ensuring that the cleanliness of local areas reaches a relatively high standard, such as Class 100 - Class 10000. For some process links that require high - precision operations or extremely high cleanliness in local areas, the laminar flow hood can provide accurate cleanliness guarantee.
  2. Strong Air - flow Stability: Due to the plenum chamber structure, the air - flow sent out by the laminar flow hood is more stable, and the laminar flow effect is significant. This stable air - flow can reduce the flying and spreading of dust particles in the air, providing a relatively stable clean air environment for process operations, which is beneficial to improving product quality and production stability.
  3. Flexibility and Adjustability: The air - volume and wind - speed of the laminar flow hood can be adjusted according to actual requirements to adapt to different process requirements and working scenarios. For example, in some experimental operations or production processes with strict requirements for wind - speed, the required air - flow parameters can be achieved by adjusting the rotation speed of the fan or replacing filters of different specifications.
4. Application Scenarios
FFU
  1. Large - area Dust - free Workshops: Due to its modular design and flexible layout, FFU is very suitable for large - area semiconductor dust - free workshops. FFU units can be evenly arranged on the ceiling or walls of the workshop to form an overall air - purification system, providing a stable high - cleanliness environment for the entire workshop. For example, in the front - end process workshops of semiconductor chip manufacturing, large - area clean space is required for high - precision process operations such as lithography and etching, and FFU can meet the large - scale air - purification requirements.
  2. Places with High Requirements for Cleanliness Uniformity: Since FFU can provide relatively uniform wind - speed and cleanliness distribution, in some semiconductor production links with high requirements for cleanliness uniformity, such as wafer inspection and packaging areas, FFU can ensure that the cleanliness level within the entire working area is consistent, avoiding the impact on product quality due to local cleanliness differences.
  3. Workshops that Need Flexible Layout Adjustment: During the semiconductor manufacturing process, the workshop layout and production process may be adjusted according to market demand and technological development. The modular feature of FFU enables it to be easily disassembled, moved, and recombined to adapt to changes in the workshop layout. For example, when production equipment needs to be added or reduced, the number and position of FFU can be adjusted accordingly to maintain an appropriate cleanliness environment.
Laminar Flow Hood
  1. Local Process Operation Areas: Laminar flow hoods are often used in local process operation areas in semiconductor production, such as lithography machine tables, chip - welding areas, and small - scale experimental benches. These areas usually require higher cleanliness within a local range to ensure the precision and reliability of process operations. Laminar flow hoods can be directly installed above or around these devices to create an independent high - cleanliness environment for local areas, preventing external pollutants from interfering with the process.
  2. Clean Workbenches or Equipment Matching: In some semiconductor production equipment or clean workbenches, laminar flow hoods are used in combination to further improve the cleanliness of the working area. For example, installing a laminar flow hood on an electron microscope operating table can prevent dust particles in the air from contaminating the microscope lens and samples, improving the accuracy of observation and analysis.
  3. Small Spaces with Special Cleanliness Requirements: For some small - area spaces with extremely high cleanliness requirements, such as sample - preparation rooms in semiconductor laboratories and special - material storage rooms, laminar flow hoods are an ideal choice. They can provide efficient air purification within a limited space, meeting the strict requirements of special processes or storage conditions for a clean environment.
5. Maintenance and Cost
FFU
  1. Maintenance
  • The maintenance of FFU is relatively simple, mainly including regular replacement of filters and inspection and maintenance of the fan. The replacement cycle of filters depends on factors such as the cleanliness requirements of the workshop and the frequency of use, usually ranging from several months to one year. The maintenance of the fan mainly includes checking the running condition and lubrication of the motor to ensure its normal operation.
  • Since there are a large number of FFUs and they are widely distributed, certain planning and organization are required during maintenance. A monitoring system can be established to monitor the running status of FFUs in real - time, detect potential problems in advance, and conduct timely maintenance to reduce the impact of equipment failures on production.
  1. Cost
  • The initial investment cost of FFU is relatively high, mainly because of the price of the equipment itself and the large number required for large - scale layout. However, in terms of long - term operation cost, due to its energy - saving effect and relatively long service life, the overall cost may be relatively balanced. In addition, the modular design of FFU reduces the cost of later expansion and upgrade to some extent.
  • During the operation process, the energy - consumption cost of FFU is also a factor to be considered. Using energy - saving FFUs and reasonable operation strategies can effectively reduce energy - consumption costs.
Laminar Flow Hood
  1. Maintenance
  • The maintenance of the laminar flow hood mainly focuses on the replacement of filters, maintenance of the fan, and cleaning of the housing. The replacement cycle of filters is similar to that of FFU and also needs to be determined according to the actual usage situation. The maintenance of the fan includes checking the wear of components such as the motor and fan blades, and timely repair or replacement.
  • For some special - form laminar flow hoods, such as those with complex control systems or special structures, professional personnel may be required to operate during maintenance to ensure the normal operation and performance of the equipment.
  1. Cost
  • The initial investment cost of the laminar flow hood is relatively lower than that of FFU, especially for some small - scale local purification application scenarios. However, if multiple laminar flow hoods are needed to meet the purification requirements of a larger area or multiple areas, the total cost will also increase accordingly.
  • In terms of operation cost, the laminar flow hood has relatively low energy consumption, but the replacement cost of its filters may be relatively high because some high - performance laminar flow hoods may need to use more expensive filters to ensure high - cleanliness requirements.
Both FFU and laminar flow hoods play important roles in semiconductor dust - free workshops. They each have their own characteristics and advantages and are suitable for different application scenarios. Guangzhou Kunling Purification Equipment Co., Ltd. has rich experience and a professional technical team in the field of semiconductor purification, and can provide customized air - purification solutions for customers. According to the actual needs and workshop conditions of customers, FFU or laminar flow hoods and other equipment can be reasonably selected and configured to help semiconductor manufacturing enterprises create high - quality dust - free workshop environments, improve production efficiency and product quality. If you have any questions or needs regarding the construction of semiconductor dust - free workshops or the selection of air - purification equipment, please feel free to contact us, and we will serve you wholeheartedly.
Contact
Leave your information and we will contact you.

About us

Customer services

Customer services

Copyright ©️ 2022, NetEase Zhuyou(and its affiliates as applicable). All Rights Reserved.