現代半導體晶圓廠 24/7/365 全天候運轉。離子佈植機、電漿蝕刻系統、光刻設備和化學氣相沉積腔體持續運作，每一台都由必須絕對可靠的電力配電系統供電。

然而，即使在最先進的晶圓廠中，為這些設備供電的中壓開關櫃和低壓配電盤仍是監測盲點。單一鬆動的端子或劣化的彈簧接觸，就能悄然累積熱量直到觸發故障——中斷每小時價值數百萬的產線。

為什麼半導體廠特別脆弱

• 持續高負載——生產設備持續從配電盤汲取大電流
• 熱循環——製程設備開關導致螺栓接點反覆熱脹冷縮
• 震動——機械設備震動傳遞至配電盤，逐漸鬆動螺栓接頭
• 無塵室門禁限制——鄰近無塵室的配電室受管控，限制人員巡檢頻率
• 停機代價——單次非計畫停機可能造成數百萬損失，包括報廢晶圓和設備重新校驗

PQSense 感測器安裝位置

中壓開關櫃（3.3 kV – 24 kV）

中壓開關櫃是半導體廠的電力配電骨幹。PQSense 被動式 RFID 感測器安裝在接點劣化最可能發生的關鍵熱點：

• 電纜終端——進出線電纜的壓接頭或螺栓端子
• 電容器接點——功率因數校正電容器的大電流開關觸頭
• 斷路器夾爪——承載滿載電流的主開關和饋線斷路器觸頭
• 匯流排接頭——段間螺栓連接處，差異熱膨脹會鬆動緊固件

每個感測器不需要電源或電池。數據透過安裝在開關櫃腔室內的天線持續採集，回傳至外部讀取器。

低壓配電盤（220 V – 480 V）

低壓配電是將工廠電力分配至數百個獨立迴路的環節。空間緊湊，生產期間進入受限。

PQSense 超薄感測器（厚度僅 4 mm）可直接安裝在：

• 匯流排接頭——主匯流排連接和分支點
• 熔絲座——負載下接觸劣化造成局部發熱的位置
• 出線饋線——供電至個別設備的電纜接點
• 斷路器端子——塑殼斷路器的負載側接點

實際部署：750+ 系統於全球領先半導體企業

全球最大的半導體封裝企業之一——同時營運關鍵 AI 晶片封裝產能——已在多座工廠部署超過 750 套 PQSense 系統。評估所有可用方案後，他們選擇免電池被動式 RFID 作為連續熱監測標準。每面新建配電盤現已內建 PQSense 監測。

與廠區基礎設施整合

PQSense 讀取器透過 RS485 / Modbus RTU 通訊——多數半導體廠監控系統已使用的標準協定。溫度數據可直接整合至：

• SCADA / DCS——與其他廠務參數並列即時顯示
• 樓宇管理系統（BMS）——自動化告警與工單產生
• 歷史資料庫——長期趨勢分析，供預測性維護使用
• 雲端平台——多廠區遠端監控

關鍵規格

開始行動

多數半導體廠從最關鍵的中壓開關櫃開始試點——通常是主進線饋電器和母聯斷路器。PQSense 在全球半導體設施提供現場評估服務。

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在半導體製造中，非計畫性停機的代價極為驚人。單一配電盤故障可能中斷整條產線，造成每小時數百萬美元的損失——包括報廢的晶圓、停擺的封裝產能、以及設備重新校驗所需的時間。

這正是為什麼全球領先的半導體封裝企業之一——同時也是 AI 晶片封裝的關鍵產能供應商——在評估了市面上所有可用方案後，選擇將 PQSense 被動式 RFID 溫度監測作為其連續熱監測的企業標準。

挑戰：看不見的電力風險

半導體封裝廠的電力配置高度複雜。數十面中壓開關櫃和數百面低壓配電盤為精密的封裝設備持續供電。這些電力設備面臨的共同問題：

• 持續高負載——封裝產線 24/7 不停運轉，電力接點承受長期熱應力
• 熱循環效應——設備開關造成螺栓接點反覆膨脹收縮，逐漸鬆動
• 受限的巡檢時間——產線不停機意味著人員難以進入配電室進行定期檢查
• 傳統方案的局限——紅外線熱像只能在開蓋時使用；電池感測器在高溫環境下壽命銳減；有線感測器在中壓面板中造成絕緣問題

解決方案：被動式 RFID 連續測溫

PQSense 被動式 RFID 溫度感測器直接安裝在配電盤內部的關鍵接點上——匯流排接頭、斷路器夾爪、電纜終端。感測器不需要電池、不需要配線，從讀取器天線的射頻訊號中擷取能量，即時回傳溫度數據。

安裝位置

部署規模與成果

該半導體企業目前已在多座工廠部署超過 750 套 PQSense 系統，涵蓋：

• 所有新建配電盤——出廠即內建 PQSense 監測，作為標準配備
• 既有設備改裝——利用排程停機期間完成安裝，每面配電盤約 30 分鐘
• 多廠區統一標準——相同的監測架構在不同廠區複製部署

關鍵成效

• 24/7 溫度數據——整合至廠區 SCADA 系統，實現自動化告警
• 零電池維護——消除電池式方案的週期性停機更換成本
• 及早發現異常——多次在接點故障前數天偵測到溫升趨勢，安排計畫性維修
• 從被動到主動——維護團隊從「故障後搶修」轉變為「預測性維護」

為什麼選擇被動式 RFID？

該企業在最終選型前評估了所有主流方案。被動式 RFID 勝出的原因：

技術規格

適用於您的工廠

無論是半導體、電力、石化或重工業——PQSense 被動式 RFID 溫度監測都能在不增加維護負擔的前提下，為關鍵電力設備提供 24/7 連續監測。全球已有 14,000+ 系統部署實績。

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A modern semiconductor fab runs 24/7/365. Ion implanters, plasma etch systems, lithography tools, and chemical vapor deposition chambers operate continuously, each powered by an electrical distribution system that must be absolutely reliable.

Yet even in the most advanced fabs, the medium-voltage switchgear and low-voltage distribution panels that power these tools remain a monitoring blind spot. A single loose terminal or degraded spring contact can silently build heat until it triggers a fault — halting production lines worth millions per hour.

Why Semiconductor Fabs Are Uniquely Vulnerable

Semiconductor manufacturing creates conditions that accelerate electrical connection degradation:

• High sustained loads — production equipment draws heavy, continuous current through distribution panels
• Thermal cycling — process tools cycle on and off, causing repeated thermal expansion and contraction at bolted connections
• Vibration — mechanical equipment transmits vibration to electrical panels, gradually loosening bolted joints
• Cleanroom access restrictions — electrical rooms adjacent to cleanrooms have controlled access, limiting manual inspection frequency
• Cost of downtime — a single unplanned outage can cost millions in lost production, scrapped wafers, and tool requalification

Traditional monitoring approaches — annual IR inspections, battery-powered sensors, or manual patrol checks — cannot provide the continuous visibility these environments demand.

Where PQSense Sensors Are Installed

Medium-Voltage Switchgear (3.3 kV – 24 kV)

MV switchgear is the primary power distribution backbone of any semiconductor fab. PQSense passive RFID sensors are installed at the critical hotspots where connection degradation is most likely:

• Cable terminals — incoming and outgoing cable connections where crimps or bolted lugs can loosen over time
• Capacitor contacts — power factor correction capacitors with high-current switching contacts
• Circuit breaker clamps — main and feeder breaker jaw contacts that carry full load current
• Busbar joints — bolted busbar connections between sections where differential thermal expansion loosens fasteners

Each sensor requires no power or batteries. Data is continuously collected through antennas routed inside the switchgear compartment to external readers.

Low-Voltage Distribution Boards (220 V – 480 V)

LV distribution is where the fab’s power is divided into hundreds of individual circuits feeding production tools, facility systems, and support equipment. Space is tight, and access during production is limited.

PQSense ultra-slim sensors (as thin as 4 mm) can be installed directly on:

• Busbar joints — main bus connections and tap-off points
• Fuse clamps — where contact degradation causes localized heating under load
• Outgoing feeders — cable connections feeding individual tools or tool groups
• Breaker terminals — load-side connections on molded case circuit breakers

These sensors monitor temperature rise from overcurrent, poor contact, or aging components — providing early warning before a connection failure disrupts production.

Real-World Deployment: 750+ Systems at a Leading Semiconductor Company

One of the world’s largest semiconductor packaging companies — operating critical AI chip packaging capacity — has deployed over 750 PQSense systems across multiple facilities. After evaluating every available monitoring approach, they selected battery-free passive RFID as their standard for continuous thermal monitoring.

Key outcomes:

• Every new switchgear panel now ships with PQSense monitoring built in
• Retrofit installations completed across existing MV switchgear during scheduled maintenance windows
• 24/7 temperature data integrated with facility SCADA for automated alerting
• Zero battery maintenance — eliminating the recurring cost and outage risk of battery-powered alternatives

Integration with Fab Infrastructure

PQSense readers communicate via RS485 / Modbus RTU — the standard protocol already used by most fab monitoring systems. Temperature data integrates directly with:

• SCADA / DCS — real-time temperature display alongside other facility parameters
• Building Management Systems (BMS) — automated alerts and work order generation
• Historian databases — long-term trending for predictive maintenance analytics
• Cloud platforms — remote monitoring for multi-site fab operations

No separate monitoring system or proprietary software required.

Key Specifications

Getting Started

Most semiconductor fabs begin with a pilot on their most critical MV switchgear — typically main incoming feeders and bus-tie breakers. PQSense conducts on-site evaluations at semiconductor facilities worldwide, including a walkthrough of your electrical distribution, sensor placement recommendations, and integration planning with your existing SCADA infrastructure.

Contact us to schedule a fab evaluation →

What drives a semiconductor company to deploy 750+ temperature monitoring systems across multiple facilities? Production that cannot afford to stop.

AI chips are reshaping the global supply chain. The facilities that package them have become some of the most critical production assets on the planet. When demand at this scale meets production that cannot stop, protecting the electrical infrastructure powering those lines is no longer optional — it’s a prerequisite.

The Challenge: Protecting High-Value Production

Advanced semiconductor packaging — particularly COWOS (Chip on Wafer on Substrate) technology used in high-end AI processors — requires uninterrupted power delivery. A single switchgear failure can halt production lines worth millions per hour.

The electrical infrastructure powering these facilities faces specific challenges:

• High utilization rates — equipment runs near capacity around the clock
• Dense electrical environments — compact panel layouts with limited access for manual inspections
• Zero tolerance for unplanned downtime — every hour of lost production carries enormous cost
• Rapid capacity expansion — new lines and facilities coming online continuously as AI demand surges

Traditional monitoring approaches — annual infrared surveys, battery-powered sensors, periodic manual checks — couldn’t provide the continuous visibility this environment demands.

The Evaluation: Every Option Tested

Before standardizing on a solution, the company evaluated every available approach to continuous thermal monitoring for switchgear:

The battery-free RFID approach eliminated every constraint the other technologies faced: no batteries to replace, no wires to route, no maintenance burden, and reliable operation in the high-temperature environments inside switchgear panels.

The Deployment: From Pilot to Standard

The adoption followed a pattern we see in organizations that take electrical safety seriously:

1. Pilot phase — Initial deployment on highest-risk panels (main incoming feeders, bus-tie breakers)
2. Validation — System proven reliable in the specific electrical environment
3. Standardization — Battery-free RFID adopted as the continuous thermal monitoring standard
4. Scale-out — Deployed across all critical switchgear in existing facilities
5. Built-in — Every new switchgear panel now ships with monitoring pre-installed

Today: 750+ systems across multiple facilities. Not as an option. As a requirement.

What the System Monitors

Each switchgear panel is fitted with 6 to 9 passive RFID temperature sensors at critical connection points:

• Busbar joints — where busbars connect between panels
• Breaker jaws — the contact points where circuit breakers engage
• Cable terminations — incoming and outgoing power cable connections

A fixed reader with compact antennas polls all sensors continuously, feeding real-time temperature data into the facility’s SCADA system via Modbus RTU. Any temperature anomaly triggers an immediate alert — giving maintenance teams hours or days of advance warning before a fault becomes critical.

System Specifications

Why This Matters Beyond Semiconductor

The same logic that drove this deployment applies everywhere production is scaling:

• Petrochemical plants scaling output — continuous process operations where electrical failure means emergency shutdown
• Data centers expanding capacity — protecting the electrical backbone of cloud and AI infrastructure
• Manufacturing lines running at higher utilization — automotive, steel, paper, cement with aging electrical systems
• Power utilities managing grid reliability — substations and distribution networks serving millions

When production demands go up, the standard for protecting those assets has to go up with it. This semiconductor company answered the question with 750+ systems.

The Industry Is Moving

In November 2025, IEEE approved IEEE 2969 — the first formal guide for continuous thermal monitoring of switchgear. The guide covers sensor placement, alarm thresholds, and six recognized monitoring technologies. Among them, passive RFID stands out for its zero-maintenance, battery-free operation.

What was once an early-adopter decision is becoming an industry standard. PQSense has deployed 14,000+ systems globally — across semiconductor, petrochemical, utilities, manufacturing, and transportation.

Start With an Evaluation

Most facilities begin with their most critical panels. PQSense conducts on-site evaluations anywhere in the world — a walkthrough of your electrical infrastructure, a technology demonstration, and an honest assessment of where continuous thermal monitoring would make a difference.

The evaluation costs nothing but time.

Schedule an on-site evaluation →