Applications of precision ceramics in front-end semiconductors

 Semiconductor equipment requires a large number of precision ceramic components. Because of the advantages of high hardness, high elastic modulus, high wear resistance, high insulation, corrosion resistance and low expansion, it can be used as parts of silicon wafer polishing machine, epitaxy/oxidation/diffusion heat treatment equipment, photolithography machine, deposition equipment, semiconductor etching equipment, ion implanter and so on. Semiconductor ceramics are alumina, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, boron nitride, and so on, in semiconductor equipment, the value of precision ceramics about 16% .

1. Alumina (Al2O3)
Alumina (Al2O3) is the most widely used ceramic material in semiconductor equipment. It has the advantages of stable material structure, high mechanical strength, high hardness, high melting point, corrosion resistance, good chemical stability, high resistivity, and good electrical insulation. In semiconductor etching equipment, high purity Al2O3 coating or Al2O3 ceramics are mainly used as the protective materials for etching cavity and its inner parts. In addition to the cavity, the plasma equipment gas nozzle, gas distribution plate and fixed ring fixed wafer also need to use alumina ceramics. Ceramic mechanical arms made of alumina ceramics are used in the handling of silicon wafers. From the material price, processing difficulty and other economic aspects, alumina ceramic robot arm cost-effective higher.
In addition, in wafer polishing process, alumina ceramics can be widely used in polishing plate, polishing pad correction platform, vacuum sucker, etc. .
2. Aluminum nitride (ALN)
High purity aluminum nitride ceramics have excellent thermal conductivity, heat resistance, insulation, Coefficient of thermal expansion close to silicon, and excellent plasma resistance. It can be used in heater of wafer heating, electrostatic Chuck, etc..
3. Silicon nitride (Si3N4)
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a kind of material with high fracture toughness, high heat shock resistance, high wear resistance, high mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. It can be used in semiconductor equipment, such as the platform, bearings, and other components.
4. Boron nitride (BN)
BN has the advantages of high resistance, high temperature resistance, high electric breakdown resistance, no pollution, corrosion resistance and easy processing. Can be used in MOCVD equipment insulation heat dissipation, PVD/CVD vacuum coating equipment insulation accessories, ion implantation machine insulation accessories.
5. Silicon carbide (SiC)
Silicon carbide is characterized by high thermal conductivity, high temperature mechanical strength, high stiffness, low Coefficient of thermal expansion, good thermal uniformity, corrosion resistance and wear resistance. Silicon carbide can maintain good strength at extreme temperatures up to 1400 ° C. Because of its high hardness and low wear, and its Coefficient of thermal expansion are almost the same as that of silicon wafers, the lapping disc using silicon carbide ceramics can be lapped and polished at high speed. During the production of silicon wafers, high temperature heat treatment is needed, and silicon carbide jigs are often used to transport them. They are heat-resistant, non-destructive, and can be coated with DLC coatings, which can enhance the performance and alleviate the damage of wafers, at the same time to prevent the spread of pollution.
In addition, silicon carbide ceramics can also be used in XY platform, pedestal, focusing ring, polishing plate, wafer Chuck, vacuum sucker, carrier arm, furnace tube, crystal boat, cantilever propeller.