Semiconductor Industry | Delivery of High-Purity Chemical Reagents

Semiconductor Manufacturing

In semiconductor manufacturing, even extremely minute amounts of metal ions, particulate impurities, or organic contaminants can lead to catastrophic consequences. These impurities may alter the electron transport paths inside the chip, increase resistance, cause severe heating of the chip, and degrade its performance. Impurities may also trigger issues such as short circuits, preventing the chip from functioning properly. Relevant studies have shown that during the chip manufacturing process, the loss of yield due to the purity of chemical reagents can reach 20%- 30%. This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for the semiconductor industry, which pursues high precision and high yield.

The Key Role of Magnetic Pumps

Throughout the entire semiconductor manufacturing process, magnetic pumps ensure the continuity of chemical reagent delivery. They work continuously and stably, enabling the timely supply of chemical reagents required for different stages and avoiding production stoppages caused by interruptions in reagent supply. Take the thin film deposition stage as an example. Specific gases and liquid chemical reagents need to be continuously supplied to the reaction chamber. The stable operation of the chemical pump ensures the continuity of the deposition process, allowing the film to grow uniformly and guaranteeing the electrical performance and reliability of the chip.

As a highly favored type of chemical pump in the semiconductor industry, the most notable feature of magnetic pumps is their unique design without mechanical seals. They use magnetic couplings to transmit power. The pump shaft and motor shaft interact through magnetic force, eliminating the need for traditional mechanical seal devices. This fully sealed design is like putting on a solid "protective armor" for the chemical reagents, fundamentally eliminating the possibility of medium leakage. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, even the tiniest leakage can cause serious pollution problems, and the emergence of magnetic pumps perfectly solves this hidden danger.

During the delivery of photoresist, magnetic pumps can ensure the stable flow of photoresist within closed pipes without any leakage, thus guaranteeing the high purity of the photoresist. In the delivery of high-purity electronic grade hydrofluoric acid, the fully sealed characteristic of magnetic pumps effectively prevents the contact between hydrofluoric acid and the external air, preventing the volatilization of hydrofluoric acid due to leakage and the resulting harm to the environment and personnel. At the same time, it also ensures that the purity of hydrofluoric acid is not affected, providing a reliable guarantee for the subsequent etching process.

Selection Points

1.When selecting a chemical pump for delivering high-purity chemical reagents in the semiconductor industry, many key factors need to be carefully considered. Flow rate is one of the primary factors. The actual demand for chemical reagents in each stage of the semiconductor manufacturing process must be accurately calculated to determine the required flow rate of the chemical pump. For example, in large-scale chip manufacturing, the rapid and stable supply of photoresist is crucial. This requires the flow rate of the chemical pump to meet the specific hourly volume requirement for photoresist delivery to ensure the efficient progress of the photolithography stage.

2.Regarding pressure, the appropriate pump pressure needs to be determined based on the length of the chemical reagent delivery pipeline, the height difference, and the resistance of the pipeline. If the delivery pipeline is long and has a certain vertical height increase, the chemical pump must have sufficient pressure to ensure that the chemical reagents reach their destination smoothly. For example, when transporting etching solution to high-level reaction equipment, the pump needs to provide the corresponding pressure to overcome gravity and pipeline resistance.

3.Chemical compatibility is of utmost importance. Different chemical reagents have different chemical properties, such as strong acidity, strong alkalinity, or corrosiveness. The pump body material, sealing material, etc., must be compatible with the chemical reagents being transported. When transporting high-purity hydrofluoric acid, ordinary metal pumps should not be used. Instead, fluoroplastic pumps should be selected to prevent the pump body from being corroded and ensure the purity of the chemical reagents and the safety of the delivery process.