Greatly Enhance Semiconductor Process Performance
with SilcoTek™ Coatings
- Save money - reduce corrosion maintenance cost by up to 65%.
- Improve process yields - reduce moisture and ion contamination.
- Save process time - reduce vacuum pump-down time by 2.5X.
- Simple! - improve performance of existing components with SilcoTek's custom coating service.
Pathways in semiconductor process systems require high corrosion resistance, low moisture content, and high purity. The current substrate of choice in semiconductor manufacturing, electropolished VIM/VAR (vacuum induction melt/vacuum arc melt) 316L stainless steel, fails to perform in many demanding process environments. The result is increased periodic maintenance, prolonged equilibration times, system contamination, and inaccurate analytical results.
SilcoTek's patented non-line-of-sight chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes produce a high purity, flexible, amorphous silicon layer, diffused into the base metal lattice. The layer will conform to the most intricate surface. The SilcoTek™ surface will deform with tubing surfaces, allowing radius bends and leak-free seals.
Silcolloy™1000 treatment improves corrosion resistance
Independent laboratory testing shows Silcolloy™1000 treatment improves corrosion resistance by up to 10x over untreated 316L stainless steel (Figure 1a &1b).1 Silcolloy™1000 treatment is compatible with many chemicals used in the semiconductor industry. Visit us online at www.SilcoTek.com for a complete list of common semiconductor chemicals and their compatibility.
Improve reliability while reducing costs by up to 65%! 316L gas delivery systems exposed to corrosive environments typically are replaced within 5 years of installation. Substituting a high performance alloy for 316L stainless steel can increase the cost of the system by as much as five-fold.
By improving the corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel by up to 10x, Silcolloy™1000 treatment reduces costly maintenance and field failures due to system corrosion. Figure 2 compares the cost of Silcolloy™1000 treatment versus Hastelloy™ C22 construction in a typical gas delivery system. Silcolloy™1000 treatment demonstrates significant life-cycle cost savings, compared to unprotected stainless steel or stainless steel alloys.
Accelerate moisture dry-down with SilcoNert™2000 treatment
Gas transfer systems serving the semiconductor industry require low moisture content. Data for wet-up and drydown experiments, measuring the relative response time for moisture content change in treated electropolished stainless steel tubing and standard 316L stainless steel tubing, demonstrate a significant advantage in using SilcoNert™2000 treated versus untreated tubing.
Wet-up curves for SilcoNert™2000 treated electropolished, untreated electropolished, and standard tubing are compared in Figure 3. Treated electropolished tubing reached the 98% saturation limit in 30 minutes, compared to 60 minutes for electropolished tubing. Standard tubing could only achieve a 96% uptake, after 180 minutes.2 Moisture dry-down curves show SilcoNert™2000 treated electropolished tubing achieved dry-down in 35 minutes, electropolished tubing required 65 minutes, and standard tubing required 175 minutes. Figure 4 compares the dry-down performance for tubing saturated with 10ppm of moisture.
SilcoGuard™1000 treatment cuts pump-down times
Semiconductor processes requiring frequent pump-downs can realize dramatic productivity improvements by treating vacuum chambers with SilcoGuard™1000.
The slow outgassing of water vapor and other contaminants in process vacuum chambers can greatly hinder evacuation rates, process throughput, and ultimate base pressures. The application of SilcoGuard™1000 throughout exposed surfaces of vacuum systems can dramatically reduce outgassing rates and provide a productivity advantage to process chambers that require more rapid and efficient evacuations.
Conclusion
SilcoTek™ can help semiconductor manufacturers meet cost and productivity challenges by improving the surface performance of stainless steel:
- Silcolloy™1000 improves corrosion resistance by 10x or more.
- SilcoNert™2000 eliminates moisture contamination by 50% or more.
- SilcoGuard™1000 improves chamber productivity by 2.5x or more.
SilcoTek™ treatments can be applied to existing process components. Custom treatment is available for processspecific components and applications. To learn more about how SilcoTek™ can improve the performance of your system, go to www.SilcoTek.com or call us! 814-353-1778