Preliminary survey report: control technology for gallium arsenide processing at Microwave Semiconductor Corporation, Somerset, New Jersey

Technical Report · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6334357

Lenihan, K L; Sheehy, J W

The technology available to control hazardous substances in gallium arsenide applications is reviewed and evaluated in light of findings from a visit to the Microwave Semiconductor Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey. The facility has 500 employees, 64 in the gallium arsenide technical staff. Direct ion implantation or epitaxial growth, photolithography, plasma etching, and backside wafer processing are used at the facility to fabricate a gallium-arsenide wafer. Hazards exist primarily in the numerous solvents, acids, and gases employed in wafer production. These include chlorobenzene, methanol, methyl-ethyl-ketone, methyl-isobutyl-ketone, ammonia, and silane. The use of arsine gas will soon begin at the facility, which will also be hazardous to employees due to its extremely toxic properties. An environmental engineer tests for 70 hazardous chemicals in the work area, including hydrogen-fluoride, cyanide, phosgene, ammonia, formaldehyde, arsine, and phenol. The authors recommend the establishment of a program for air sampling to monitor arsenic levels and wipe sampling for arsenic surface contamination.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6334357
• Report Number(s): PB-87-183596/XAB; ECTB-163-11A
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIA
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
KETONES
MANUFACTURING
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEDICINE
METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE
MONITORS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
POLLUTION
SAFETY
SAMPLING
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TOXICITY