Safety Issues

Abstract

When considering so-called high-technology manufacturing such as that carried out by the semiconductor industry, we would do well to remember that what goes on in our controlled environments is actually much more chemistry and physics than electrical engineering. Much of what we are trying to do lies in the area of contamination control: control of microcontamination in the environment, control of deliberate contamination (for example, dopants in semiconductors), and control of the contamination of the work force. Environmental contamination is the realm of the facilities engineers; dopant contaminants are handled by the process engineers; and human contamination is the business of the safety and health team. There is a very strong link between these areas, although many people in the industry do not realize it. For example, product health and work-force health are frequently affected by the same things. Silica dust in the air is a prime example of yield-reducing particulate contamination that is also very hazardous to humans, leading to severe respiratory ailments.