Balance-of-plant
Those components additional to and integrated with a fuel cell's primary power module to make up the entire operational system, such as a reformer, valves and piping, and the fuel storage medium.
Cell assemblies
The process of placing individual fuel cells adjacent to one another to form a fuel cell stack. Normally, the stack is connected in a series.
Centers of Excellence
Manufacturing centers focused on excelling in the production of products with similar requirements to maximize the utilization of facilities while ensuring products get to market quickly and efficiently.
Chemical point of use
The location within a fab where the chemical is introduced to the process.
Chips
One unit on a silicon wafer that contains the complete circuit. Typically there are hundreds of chips per wafer. Also known as die, device or integrated circuit (IC).
Cleanroom manufacturing
Manufacturing of any product that occurs within a cleanroom: one that is a confined area in which humidity, temperature and particle matter are precisely controlled.
Core competency
Entegris' core competencies are polymer material science, plastics product manufacturing and microelectronics industry processing knowledge.
Critical material
Any essential material that through advanced manufacturing processes becomes part of a technical product. These critical materials require special care and protection during transportation and storage.
Disk DeliveryTM Systems and Services
Entegris' unique materials integrity management solution that cost-effectively manages hard disks and related materials from production to consumption utilizing its systems and services capabilities. Entegris works with customers to develop custom packages to address individual needs.
entegris.com
Entegris' Web site containing information on materials integrity management, the company and its products and services.
Fab
Short for wafer fabrication facility: The factory or plant where semiconductors (chips, die, ICs) are made. Refers to only the front end process.
FOSB
Front opening shipping box: a transport container for 300 mm bare wafers.
FOUP
Front opening unified pod: an environment used to protect and transport 300 mm wafers within a fab during wafer processing.
Front end
Separating the complex semiconductor manufacturing process into the major groupings of front end and back end. Front end is the series of processes used to create the semiconductor devices in and on the wafer surface. A blank, polished starting wafer comes into fabrication and when it exits, the surface is covered with completed chips.
Fuel cell
An electrochemical device that continuously converts the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidant to electrical energy. The fuel and oxidant are typically stored outside of the cell and transferred into the cell as the reactants are consumed.
Horizontal wafer shipper
The Entegris horizontal wafer shipper provides secure protection for processing, storage and shipping of full thickness or thinned wafers.
Integra® valve
Entegris' valve with all-molded PFA wetted surfaces offering unmatched purity, chemical inertness and high temperature capabilities.
Integrated Circuits (ICs)
See Chips.
Integrity
The state of being unimpaired. Also one of Entegris' values demonstrated by being honest with all, consistently fair with all, acting legally, responsibly and ethically, and making decisions that will be respected by people globally.
LeanSigma Manufacturing
Using six sigma tools and lean manufacturing tools to change the way of thinking and the processes within an organization. The goal is to nurture a culture where all of the employees feel empowered and continuously look for ways to improve their processes and systematize the best methods. LeanSigma is a philosophy of eliminating all non-value added activities or waste from manufacturing and support areas and to drive to a single standard of operations where possible.
Life Sciences
A target market comprising biopharmaceutical, bulk and finishing pharmaceutical, bio-technology, medical and food and beverage industries. These industries traditionally rely on stainless steel for fluid transfer. Our FDA-approved TEFLON® PFA based products are revolutionary for these industries.
Materials Integrity Management
Most materials that go into the manufacturing of today's technology items need special care when being transported to or within a manufacturing facility. Materials integrity management is protecting and transporting these critical materials.
Microcontamination
Very small levels of unwanted material that adversely affect the physical or electrical characteristics of an IC.
Microelectronics industry
The microelectronics industry provides the world with electronic products that make people's lives more enjoyable and productive. The semiconductor and hard disk drive/data storage industries are segments within the microelectronics industry.
Polymer material science
The developmental research providing the basis for the design, synthesis, engineering, testing and application of polymers used to meet and anticipate our customers' materials requirements
Production to Consumption
Describing the entire manufacturing process of the finished chip from growing the wafer, to building the integrated circuit (IC) to testing, assembling and packaging the finished IC before it is integrated into the end-user product.
Reformer
A fuel cell term referring to a vessel within which fuel and other gaseous recycle stream(s) (if present) are reacted with water vapor and heat, usually in the presence of a catalyst, to produce hydrogen rich gas for use within the fuel cell power plant.
Semiconductor
Generic name for transistors and integrated circuits that can control the flow of electric signals. A semiconductor is an element such as silicon or germanium that acts as an intermediate in electrical conductivity
Silicon
The material used for fabricating diodes, transistors and integrated circuits.
Silicon DeliveryTM Systems and Services
A unique materials integrity management solution that cost-effectively manages silicon from production to consumption utilizing Entegris' systems and services capabilities. Entegris works with customers to develop custom coordinated packages to address individual needs
Test, Assembly and Packaging (TAP)
Includes the testing of ICs, assembly and putting the IC into a protective package. This often occurs at a remote location from the front end process and is commonly referred to as the back end process.
Thin wafer
To thin a wafer, it undergoes a step such as backgrinding to reduce the wafer from its original thickness during chip fabrication to a diminished thickness suitable for final packaging of die after dicing.
Values based
Entegris culture and the way we do business and conduct ourselves is based on our four values of integrity, excellence, respectful relationships and financial success.
Valve diaphragm
The closing device that performs the function of opening and closing the valve orifice. It is controlled by the valve operator.
Wafer
A thin slice of a semiconductor material that serves as the base for chips.