High Purity Coatings, The Secret Weapon in Semiconductor Manufacturing

December 12 2014

Semiconductor_fab

Semiconductor manufacturers are now employing a new “secret weapon” in the never ending quest for improved performance and yields. As 14 nm semiconductor production ramps up, elimination of process impurities become exponentially more critical. SilcoTek® high purity coatings solve the contamination problem by bonding high purity silicon to intricate surfaces in plasma etch systems like showerheads, fittings and tubing.

Superior Corrosion Protection

SilcoTek® coatings improve corrosion resistance 8x or more, preventing reactive etch gases from corroding flow path surfaces and ultimately contaminating the wafer surface.

 

Corrosion_Solutions_Silcolloy_Graph_10_16_13

 

Seeing Is Believing

Contamination of semicon etch streams is a potential major yield issue.  Immersion of coated and uncoated 316 stainless steel coupons in highly corrosive hydrochloric acid demonstrates how quickly a process stream can become contaminated.  The clear container shows no contamination while the green liquid shows severe leaching of metal ions after only 24 hours of exposure.

Dursan_corrosion_9_11_14_edited-1 Super_duplex_corrosion_9_11_14_edited-1
SilcoTek coated Uncoated

 

SilcoTek® coatings are compatible with commonly used chemicals used in semicon manufacturing process streams.  See the complete list:

Semiconductor Compatibility

 

 Learn more about how SilcoTek coatings improve semiconductor yield.

SilcoTek's semiconductor R&D team has recently developed a modification to our Dursan® coating that is tailored specifically to semiconductor manufacturers.  The carbon element of the original Dursan is almost fully removed, yielding a thin but durable silicon oxide (SiO) layer that prevents both erosion and corrosion in manufacturing processes.

  • Insulative and chemically stable, minimizing loss

  • Highly resistant to ozone

  • Uniform, thin CVD layer for maximum performance

Download Semicon  Application Note