STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System with ATS™ Technologies from Watlow

Watlow STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System with ATS™ TechnologiesHeating and controlling the thermal processes on the gas lines, forelines, and exhaust lines in a semiconductor tool are typically complex due to the number of components and the maze of wiring, all located within a small area. These factors make installation and maintenance cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive. Also, today’s customers require more thermal data on the health of the system to ensure temperature uniformity, which is required to keep the lines up and running smoothly. In addition, the business cycles of the semiconductor market can cause long lead times when supply cannot keep up with demand. These issues, and others, make the job of the semiconductor equipment engineers more challenging than ever before.

Due to the many years of experience working in the semiconductor market and deep domain knowledge, Watlow® recently developed the STREAMLINE™ gas delivery thermal system solution featuring its patented Adaptive Thermal Systems® (ATS™) technologies that can help solve the market pain associated with the complexity of typical systems. Watlow’s solution is an innovative, dynamic, and complete thermal system that provides temperature uniformity, a reduced footprint, extensive diagnostics, and faster development times.

Watlow has removed the nuisance components from the heater and moved those capabilities and functions into the EZ-ZONE® RMT temperature controller, offering closed-loop control with integrated over-temperature safety protection for each heater with just two wires. This helps reduce installation errors and provides easier troubleshooting. The need to integrate fewer controllers makes installation quicker and easier by cutting the required heater connections by two-thirds. It also reduces costs and provides a more spatially efficient system. In addition, Watlow’s heater design enables part reuse for future systems, which reduces SKUs and overall lead times.

Watlow’s new STREAMLINE gas delivery system enhances your application with an aesthetically pleasing, yet powerful solution with fewer wires and more functionality.

Features

STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System Features

  • Ease of installation: Lowers customer installation costs and reduces the risk of incorrect wiring compared to legacy systems
  • Spatially-efficient system: Reduces wiring complexity and the number of controllers needed in a system
  • Reusable heater components: Shortens development time
  • Closed-loop control for each configurable zone, even down to discrete heaters
    • Enables improved uniformity or desired thermal profiles
    • Enhances performance
    • Allows heaters to be used as zone master or series heaters through a wire harness configuration
  • Enhanced diagnostics
    • Allows the user to understand what is happening in every zone
    • Offers real-time diagnostics about every heater in the application
  • Connects with EtherCAT®, Ethernet, DeviceNet™: Aligns with industry standard communications protocols
  • Agency approvals: Meets all required industry certifications and requirements

Specifications

STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System Specifications

EZ-ZONE RMT Controller with ATS Technology

  • Input voltage: 85-240VAC
  • Output voltage per channel: 2-218 volts
  • Zones of control: 6 to 12 independent outputs
  • Data/diagnostic: Real-time temperature, voltage, wattage, resistance, alarms, and more through comms
  • Maximum power is dependent on load resistance, ambient EZ-ZONE RMT temperature, input voltage, and number of zones

Silicone Rubber Heaters with ATS Technology

  • Heater and jacket material: Flexible silicone rubber-coated fiberglass fabric
  • Thermal insulation: Silicone sponge
  • Heater geometries: Straights (1/4", 3/8", 1/2" I.D.)
    • Minimum length = 2 inches
    • Maximum length = 18 inches
    • VCR unions, valves, other
  • Operating temperature up to 180°C
  • Maximum resistance = 600 ohms
  • Lead length = 4 inches
  • Standard connectors = reverse sex amp CPC

Q & A

Q&A Section with Expand/Collapse Icons

STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System Q & A

+ What applications is the STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System designed for?
This thermal system is engineered for semiconductor & process-gas applications — specifically heating and controlling gas lines, fore lines, and exhaust lines in tools and fabs. Because gas delivery in a semiconductor environment can involve complex piping, condensation risks, and tight spatial constraints, the system offers temperature uniformity, diagnostics, and a reduced footprint.
 
+ What are the key benefits and features of the STREAMLINE system compared to legacy gas-line thermal systems?
Key benefits include: Temperature uniformity across gas delivery/exhaust lines, reduced footprint, and fewer wiring/installation points (thanks to integrated controller and fewer heater connections). Extensive diagnostics and modern communications (EtherCAT®, Ethernet, DeviceNet™) are built into the system for smart monitoring. Reuse of heater parts for future systems, reducing SKUs and lead-time. For a global semiconductor equipment engineering team, these features translate into faster development, lower installation costs, lower maintenance overhead, and improved uptime.
+ What are the installation and wiring requirements for the STREAMLINE system?
While each installation will depend on your tool configuration and regional electrical standards, the STREAMLINE system simplifies wiring significantly: the heater design moves many of the traditional “nuisance components” into the controller; you only need two wires per heater for closed-loop control with over-temperature protection. Installation benefits include fewer controllers per heater bank, less wiring, and easier troubleshooting. From a practical viewpoint in North American fabs: check your local electrical code (NEC, CSA), confirm voltage/phase compatibility, ensure proper grounding, and plan for communication wiring if you’re using EtherCAT/Ethernet.
 
+ How does the STREAMLINE system help prevent condensation and maintain process integrity in gas lines?
In gas-delivery systems, condensation in lines (especially with reactive or high-purity gases) can lead to puddling, contamination, and wafer defects. The STREAMLINE system ensures heating and temperature uniformity across the gas delivery/exhaust piping to maintain above-condensation temperatures and avoid phase shifts in the gas. In the US or Canadian fabs where strict contamination and uptime standards apply, choosing a heating system with documented uniformity and diagnostics support is critical.  
 
 
+ What lead-times, part reuse, and support features are offered for the STREAMLINE system (especially important for global customers)?
According to Watlow’s announcement, the STREAMLINE system is designed with part reuse in mind (reducing SKU proliferation), and this helps reduce lead times. From a global perspective, those purchasing from North America or overseas (Asia, Europe) will benefit from having fewer custom parts and more standardization, which translates to faster deployment and easier sourcing of spare parts. Support features: diagnostics and communication protocols are built in, enabling remote monitoring and maintenance (especially relevant for international sites).
 


 

Downloads

Download Watlow STREAMLINE™ Gas Delivery Thermal System with ATS™ Technologies Brochure

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