Which Polymer Materials Are Applied in the Semiconductor Industry?

The biggest challenge in semiconductor manufacturing is contamination control. Especially with the development of semiconductor technology, electronic components are becoming smaller and more complex, with an increasingly lower tolerance for impurities. Semiconductor production conditions are becoming more stringent, such as requiring dust-free cleanliness, high temperatures, and the handling of highly corrosive chemicals.

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In the semiconductor field, the role of engineering plastics is mainly for packaging, conveying, and sealing, connecting each processing step to prevent contamination and damage, optimize contamination control, and improve the yield of critical semiconductor processes.

Common types of polymer materials include: PEEK, PPS, PP, ABS, PVC, PBT, PC, fluoroplastics, PAI, COP, etc. The requirements for these materials are dimensional stability, CLTE value, and chemical purity.

Common engineering plastics used in the semiconductor industry can be categorized into the following sections:

Tooling fixtures: PEEK, PFA, PVDF, PTFE, POM, etc., used for fixing, supporting, and protecting wafers, silicon chips, and other devices.

Chemical treatment equipment: Corrosion-resistant materials such as PFA and PTFE are used for pipelines, valves, and pump bodies, suitable for handling corrosive solutions.

Sealing components: Materials with high temperature resistance and chemical inertness are used for O-rings and other sealing parts to ensure stable operation of the equipment.

Electronic components: Materials with excellent insulation properties such as PFA and POM are used for insulating parts and connectors.

Transmission components: High mechanical performance materials such as POM and PA66 are used for bearings and sliding parts to meet high-precision requirements.

Plastic products include: CMP retaining rings, wafer carriers, mask boxes, fixtures, vacuum suction pens, chemical/electronic specialty gas delivery and storage, packaging test sockets, cleaning baskets, gas filter cartridges, bearing guides, release films, IC trays...

Common processing techniques include molding, injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, and extrusion.

Materials such as PEEK, PPS, LCP, and epoxy resin are suitable for injection molding and require precise control of mold temperature and barrel temperature to prevent degradation; sometimes post-treatment (annealing) is needed to eliminate internal stress.

The vacuum forming process involves heating plastic sheets such as PP, PC, PVC, and ABS, which are then molded by being vacuumed onto a mold. This process is used for manufacturing semiconductor equipment components such as retainers and CUPs. Its advantages include rapid forming, low cost, support for custom complex shapes, high flexibility, suitability for small batch production, and rapid prototyping.

Additionally, with the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry, the demand for upstream raw materials such as organosilicon, epoxy resin, and fluorine materials has surged. Organosilicon, due to its unique structure, offers advantages such as high and low temperature stability and insulation properties. It is used as an insulating material in the electronics field to seal and protect circuits and semiconductor components, adapting to the trend of device miniaturization and thinning, and is applied in various electronic components. Epoxy resin, as a key bottom filler material for chip packaging, protects the chip and provides cushioning support, with its technology continuously upgraded alongside semiconductor advancements. Fluorine materials, due to their stability and other characteristics, are indispensable in semiconductor processes. For example, electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid is used for cleaning and etching in multiple fields, and fluorine-containing specialty gases support electronic manufacturing (playing a role in...Cleaning, etching, doping, and film formation with multiple functions.PFA products are suitable for handling high-purity chemicals (includingStorage, transportation, and processing… to ensure stable and safe manufacturing.

The global semiconductor polymer materials market is still dominated by international giants, especially in the high-end product segments. However, the vitality of the Chinese market and the rapid progress of domestic enterprises cannot be overlooked, with domestic substitution steadily advancing in multiple niche areas.

Major foreign semiconductor plastic raw material companies include: Wacker, Mitsubishi Chemical, DuPont, Saint-Gobain, Syensqo, Daikin Fluorochemicals, etc.

Major domestic semiconductor plastic raw material companies include: Jilin Zhongyan Polymer, Junhua Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Pengfulong, Wanhua Chemical, Water Co., Ltd., Panjin Zhongrun, etc.

Plastic semi-finished rod and sheet manufacturers include: Rochling, Ensinger, Deynas, Dongmai New Materials, Kingslyn, Jutai New Materials, Ensilong, and Jin Zhi Plastics.

Plastic processing and finished product-related companies: Taisheng Materials, Erlais Electronics, KOSMOS Technology, Kent Composites, Jutai New Materials, Tais Technology, etc.

Enterprises related to fluoroplastic products include: Nifluor Rong Polymer, Inbor Electronic Technology, Cobetter, Zixing Yugang, Jiaxiang Fluoroplastic, Xufu New Material, Zhongqin Industrial, Beisu Research Institute, Dewin Innovation, Langchi New Material, Yibai Precision, Hipai Electronics, Jiaden Precision, Alpha New Material, Dinglong Holdings, Borun Microelectronics, Ruifu Ultra-clean Technology, Teflon Technology, Hongxin Fluoroplastic Products, Linwei New Material, Kelingda Semiconductor, Taifuno Fluorine, Huayue Plastic, Xiangjian New Material, and so on.

Sealing ring related companies include: Daikin Qingyan, Boiling Point Sealing Technology, Shanghai Jiano Sealing, Dongguan Taike Sealing, Xulong Sealing Parts, Haichuang Semiconductor, Geyi Optoelectronics, Qingdao Xinflu Advanced Materials, Shanghai Innavision, etc.