The semiconductor industry, as a hot industry in recent years, is currently undergoing rapid change. The explosion of demand in the AI field, such as Nvidia’s recently released AI chip architecture “Rubin”, is to meet the extreme demand for computing power of artificial intelligence models. But chip manufacturing is an extremely delicate process, and it is still facing the challenge of constantly upgrading the process, in this chip race, there is a behind-the-scenes hero is crucial, that is, electronic special gases. The chip needs multiple processes such as lithography, etching, deposition, etc., and these essential links are inseparable from the electronic characteristic gas. Advanced lithography machines must also use noble gases such as neon, krypton and xenon, or high-end chip manufacturing would simply not be possible. It can be said that who can master the higher purity and more stable supply of electronic gas in the future will be able to occupy a greater competitive advantage in the semiconductor industry.
The entire semiconductor manufacturing process can be seen as a fine “engraving + construction” process, from the raw material to the finished chip process, a variety of high-purity gases have played a key role, different types of electronic gases correspond to different chip manufacturing processes.
(1) Wafer manufacturing
The birth of the chip starts with a special piece of silicon material, and the high purity silicon raw material must be prepared first. The silicon material is then purified and pulled into silicon rods, which are then cut by special equipment into thin wafers. This production process requires the use of high-purity hydrogen and hydrogen chloride to remove impurities, so that the silicon to achieve extremely high purity.
(2) Lithography
When the wafer is ready, engineers coat it with a special photoresist and then shine ultraviolet light from an EUV lithography machine to project a pattern of the chip’s circuit onto the wafer. High precision lithography processes require extremely high purity noble gases such as neon, krypton, and xenon. For example, the KrF (Krypton fluorine) excimer laser emits 248nm wavelength light to support the laser dependent 193nm process, and the generation of high-energy light sources can ensure the realization of advanced 7nm, 5nm and even 2nm chip processes, and ultimately characterize extremely fine circuit structures. It can be said that although rare gases can not be seen and touched, they are the “invisible hero” behind the precision manufacturing of chips. Fullcryo is deeply engaged in the field of high purity rare gases, relying on independent production and cooperative processing mode to comprehensively enhance the global supply capacity. We have a stable production capacity supply, the annual supply of krypton 10000Sm³, xenon 2400Sm³, neon 150000Sm³, to meet the needs of high-end industries such as semiconductors.
(3) Etching
After lithography, the wafer will be covered by a protective layer, and the exposed part. At this time, gases such as fluorine, chlorine, and hydrogen fluoride need to be used to etch the exposed area and remove the unwanted part, just like “engraving” to form the basic structure of the chip. High purity argon gas is also needed to control the etching environment.
(4) Deposition
After etching, the circuit structure of the chip is initially formed, but it is also necessary to deposit a thin layer of metal or other materials on its surface, which can play the role of connecting the circuit or protecting the circuit. At this time, electronic specialty gases (such as ammonia and silane) are used for thin film deposition, so that the chip can both conduct electricity and prevent short circuits.
(5) Ion implantation
Ion implantation technology can precisely control the conductivity of the wafer, such as where to conduct and where to insulate. Charged particles (ions) need to be driven into the wafer at high speed to change its conductivity, and high-purity helium or nitrogen can be used as an auxiliary gas to help control the energy and direction of the ions.
Multi-wheel lithography, etching, deposition and other operations will make the wafer surface uneven, but also residual impurities, so it is necessary to use mechanical polishing (CMP) technology to restore the wafer smooth, and use high-purity hydrogen, nitrogen and other gases to clean the chip. Finally, the package chip is often used as a protective gas such as nitrogen to prevent chip oxidation or contamination.
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the purity of the electronic gas directly determines the quality and yield of the chip because any small impurities can cause the chip performance to decline or even scrap. The industry divides the purity level of the gas according to the impurity content, usually expressed by “N”, such as 5N (99.999%), 6N (99.9999%), 7N (99.99999%), the higher the number, the higher the purity. Different processes also have different requirements for gas purity, generally speaking, the purity of ordinary industrial gases is about 99.99%, and the purity of electronic gases used in semiconductor manufacturing usually needs to reach 5N and above.
In key processes such as lithography, etching, deposition, and ion implantation, semiconductor manufacturing must use ultra-high purity electronic gases. For example, noble gases such as neon (Ne), Krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe) in photoliths, fluorination gases (such as SF₆ and CF₄) in etching processes, and high purity hydrogen (H₂) and ammonia (NH₃) commonly used in deposition processes need to reach class 6N or even 7N to ensure process stability and chip reliability. What is more, the purity of the silane special gas deposited in the film formation process during the wafer manufacturing process is required to reach 8N and above.
Challenge 1: Supply chain stability
The supply of electronic gases involves multiple links and is susceptible to market fluctuations. Fullcryo has deployed a number of rare gas plants in China, established long-term cooperation with global suppliers, and jointly built refining plants in Asia, Europe and the United States, which has opened up the global supply layout and ensured stable supply to customers.
Challenge 2: Single gas supply mode
Semiconductor companies of different sizes have different demands on gas supply methods. Fullcryo offers a variety of gas supply solutions: self-built gas plant to achieve local supply; Pipeline gas supply, suitable for large-scale fabs; Batch supply to meet the needs of small and medium-sized customers. Flexible gas supply can reduce costs and improve production efficiency.
Challenge 3: The purity of the electronic gas is extremely high
Fullcryo can provide high-purity neon (Ne), Krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), helium (He), silane, fluorated gas and other electronic gases, and has a 6N-7N ultra-high-purity gas supply capacity to meet the most demanding needs of the semiconductor industry, to help advanced chip manufacturing.
Challenge 4: The industry requires a high degree of professionalism
The application of electronic gas is complicated, and it needs to match the equipment standard. Fullcryo has a professional team to provide a full range of technical support from gas selection to safe use, providing customers with customized solutions to help improve production efficiency.
