Category Archives: Wet Processing

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MEI Wet Processing Systems and Services revealed performance data today on its newly released Cu & TiW Critical Etch System for compound semiconductor manufacturing.

MEI’s Critical Etch batch wet processing systems achieve comparable etch uniformity, providing superior results when compared to single wafer spray tools for Cu and TiW Etch. Additionally, MEI’s critical etch solution enables consistent etching even within dense patterned areas. The superior immersion etch uniformity enables process engineers to minimize over etch times enabling the use of lower cost immersion technology to produce high end products. MEI’s critical etch system also saves valuable manufacturing floor space by reducing the wet process footprint requirement by at least 60% over comparable throughput single wafer spray tools.

“MEI’s Critical Etch solution for Au, Ag, Cu and TiW will allow semiconductor manufacturers to lower costs, reclaim valuable cleanroom space and increase yield while producing high quality results,” said Dan Cappello, President and CEO, MEI LLC. “Our immersion system etch uniformity far surpasses many alternative solutions. Side by side ‘split lot’ comparison data demonstrates superior performance with <2% etch uniformity, compared to >15% for other immersion and spray tool designs.”

About MEI’s Critical Etch wet processing system—a new approach.

MEI’s Critical Etch System is unlike conventional metal etch systems. We leveraged our immersion experience to produce a low cost, small footprint, high performance package. Our systems can be configured for single or combination metal etch steps over a wide variety of needs. Conventional etch solutions rely on -dry tool or complex deplating processes which are very expensive to operate. MEI’s immersion solution enables a new generation of mobile devices to be produced in a cost effective manner.

MEI’s batch immersion system’s are field proven on 1- 5 um features which were consistently etched with exceptional uniformity and high throughput.

MEI’s Critical Etch solution targets semiconductor and MEMS processing applications where metal pattern etches are required to create todays most sophisticated mobile communication devices.

The 2013 market for semiconductor wet chemicals (acids, bases and solvents) totaled $1.03B, up six percent over 2012, according to a new report from Techcet Group, “Wet Chemicals for Semiconductor Device Processing 2014, A Techcet Group Critical Materials Report.” The 2014 outlook is for eight percent additional growth to $1.11B. The semiconductor wet chemicals market is expected to grow to $1.36B by 2018, according to Techcet’s forecast. Current growth in wet chemicals revenue tracks the increase in wafer starts and further boosted by price increases driven by higher raw materials costs.

As <32nm nodes move toward volume production, there is a continuing trend toward the use of more dilute chemistries and smaller chemical volumes per process step. Overall process cost reduction and a smaller environmental footprint combine to drive this trend. The continuing shrinkage of device features is also driving the reinvestigation of alternative process technologies such as supercritical CO2 all plasma processing, and UV-ozone cleaning.

The global market is distributed among seven major players with five percent share or greater, led by BASF and Kanto in the first tier. There are, however, vast differences in market leadership by region, with BASF leading in Europe, Taiwan and China, and Kanto leading in Singapore and Japan. KMG continues to expand its US market share dominance with its acquisition of OM Group’s Ultra Pure Chemicals business in June, 2013.

The semiconductor wet chemical industry is vulnerable to several situations playing out in the general chemical industry as well as international politics. Semiconductor-grade nitric acid supplies were disrupted by a May 2012 explosion at El Dorado Chemical Company, and are not expected to fully recover until mid-2015. US shale oil production is providing some price escala- tion relief from Middle East petroleum supplies, providing relief in solvents and polyethylene products. New mining activity for phosphor and fluorspar around the world is starting to reduce dependence on China, providing some relief for hydrofluoric and phosphoric acid supplies.

In addition to market analysis, technical trends, critical supply chain issues and EH&S activities, the report includes profiles and updates for thirteen major chemical suppliers to the global semiconductor industry.

Techcet Group, LLC specializes in technical trend analysis and market analysis for the semiconductor, silicon, PV and related electronics industries. The company has been responsible for producing the International Sematech Critical Material Reports since 2001.

July 6, 2011 — Avantor Performance Materials will launch the first in its new J.T.Baker SLCT Series of selective etch surface treatment chemistries, SLCT 128 sigma etchant, at SEMICON West 2011.

J.T.Baker SLCT 128 sigma etchant simultaneously cleans and selectively etches the wafer substrate in poly-gate architectures, creating a cavity for strain engineered gate structures. No pre-implant operations are required to tailor the initial etching. Highly controlled etch is paired with post-etch residue removal and pre-cleaning. The resultant clear, well-defined faceted sigma shape for epitaxy suits advanced nodes, and users may cut out an additional rinse after the process. Plasma pre-etching can be eliminated or reduced in some operations.

The self-cleaning etch chemistry can be used in front end of line (FEOL) wafer fab on strained silicon channels where silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon nitride (SiN) induce strain on the silicon lattice under the gate region; FinFET structures where the semiconductor material is vertical rather than horizontal; and other advanced wafer processes.

The etchant was created through a joint development agreement between Avantor and SACHEM Inc., which covers specialty surface preparation and removal chemistries for thin-film wafer stacks. Avantor applied photoresist/residue removal technologies, while SACHEM engineered bulk etchants and surface prep aspects. Under the agreements, the companies established a global applications team supported by Avantor’s advanced wafer processing equipment.

Combining the companies’ core strengths in selective etch products enables better semiconductor manufacturing, said John Bubel, director of marketing, electronic materials, at Avantor, adding that the partnership smartly boosts investment in research and development. Tom Mooney, president of SACHEM Asia, added that the partnership is targeting emerging sub-22nm nodes, cutting down on process materials consumption and steps.

Avantor and SACHEM are developing other selective etch and targeted layer removal solutions with leading semiconductor manufacturers in Asia and the Americas.

Avantor plans to expand the SLCT Series with additional selective etch products in the near future, targeting selectivity to metal oxides and integration stacks common in advanced memory chip manufacturing.

To learn more about SLCT 128 sigma etchant and other selective etch products in development, visit Avantor booth 1607 at SEMICON West, July 12-14 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.

Avantor Performance Materials (formerly Mallinckrodt Baker, Inc.) manufactures and markets high-performance chemistries and materials. Avantor makes products used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, photovoltaic cells and flat panel displays (FPD). For additional information, visit www.avantormaterials.com

SACHEM Inc. delivers highly pure, precise and innovative chemical solutions designed to solve the most demanding and challenging applications. Learn more at www.sacheminc.com

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