Electronic special gases (referred to as "electronic special gases") are an important branch of special gases. They penetrate into almost every aspect of semiconductor production and are indispensable raw materials for the production of electronic industries such as very large scale integrated circuits, flat panel display devices, and solar cells.
In the semiconductor process, fluorine-containing gases are widely used. In the current global electronic gas market, fluorine-containing electronic gases account for about 30% of the total. Fluorine-containing electronic gases are an important component of special electronic gases in the field of electronic information materials. Part of it is mainly used as a cleaning agent, etchant, and can also be used as a dopant, film-forming material, etc. In this article, the author will take you through common fluorine-containing gases.
The following are commonly used fluorine-containing gases
(1) Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3): a gas used for cleaning and removing deposits, usually used to clean reaction chambers and equipment surfaces.
(2) Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6): used as a fluorinating agent in the oxide deposition process, and as an insulating gas for filling of insulating media.
(3) Hydrogen Fluoride (HF): used to remove oxides from the silicon surface and used as an etchant to etch silicon and other materials.
(4) Nitrogen Fluoride (NF): used to etch materials such as silicon nitride (SiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN).
(5) Trifluoromethane (CHF3) and Tetrafluoromethane (CF4): used to etch fluoride materials, such as silicon fluoride and aluminum fluoride.
However, fluorine-containing gas has certain dangers, including toxicity, corrosiveness, flammability, etc.
(1) Toxicity: Some fluorine-containing gases are toxic, such as hydrogen fluoride (HF). Its vapor has a strong irritating effect on the skin and respiratory tract, and is harmful to human health.
(2) Corrosivity: Hydrogen fluoride and some fluoride compounds are highly corrosive and can cause serious damage to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract.
(3) Combustibility: Some fluorides are flammable and react with oxygen or water in the air to release intense heat and toxic gases, which may cause fires or explosions.
(4) High Pressure Danger: Some fluorinated gases have explosion hazards under high pressure and require special care during use and storage.
(5) Impact on the environment: Fluorine-containing gas has a high atmospheric lifetime and GWP value, has a destructive effect on the atmospheric ozone layer, and may lead to global warming and environmental pollution.
The application of gases in emerging fields such as electronics continues to deepen, bringing a large amount of new demand for industrial gases. Based on the large new production capacity of major electronic components such as semiconductors and display panels in mainland China in the next few years, as well as the strong demand for import substitution of electronic chemical materials, the domestic electronic gas industry will usher in high growth.