Background
Semiconductor manufacturing relies on ultra clean gas and liquid delivery systems in which filtration performance directly influences process stability, equipment reliability, and output yield. As device geometries continue to shrink and process tolerances tighten, filtration media must maintain stable pore structures while minimizing particle release during continuous operation, pressure transients, and thermal cycling. Conventional filter media can exhibit particle shedding or pore instability, motivating the development of improved filtration solutions.

Aim
This work aims to investigate metal nanofiber-based filtration media engineered to provide precise and repeatable filtration performance while minimizing contamination risks in semiconductor manufacturing environments. The study focuses on filtration efficiency, particle retention, and structural stability under representative gas filtration conditions. Liquid filtration is out of the scope of this study.

Method
Nanofiber filtration media were fabricated using bundle drawing, webbing, and sintering processes. Different AISI 316L samples with fiber diameters ranging from 0.5 to 12 µm were manufactured. The samples also featured different basis weights (150–2400 g/m²) and porosities (50–90%). These were evaluated using a gas filtration setup.

Filtration performance was assessed through upstream and downstream particle counting using a polydisperse KCl aerosol.

Below the set up description:

• Instrument: SMPS (DMA + CPC) to obtain efficiency versus particle size and determine MPPS.
• Primary SMPS window: 5–500 nm (or down to 3 nm if the SMPS/CPC configuration supports stable measurement).
• Upper extension (optional): 800 nm–1 µm when feasible to ensure capture of an MPPS that may lie above the primary size range.

Results will be compared with those obtained using standard-sized fiber media.

Main Results

The paper will present quantified particle‑filtration efficiencies for filter media composed of fibers with different diameters. The results are expected to highlight the advantages of a specific nanometric fiber‑diameter range compared with coarser fibers, particularly in maintaining high particle‑capture efficiency and minimizing particle shedding under operating conditions representative of semiconductor‑manufacturing environments.

Air Permeability (AP) and Bubble Point Pressure (BPP) tests were conducted on flat‑sheet media samples at selected gas flow rates. AP measurements were performed at a differential pressure of ....