Silicon Carbide Filler Elastomer for Plasma Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluorine-containing elastomers used in high-temperature environments, such as in semiconductor manufacturing, face challenges with weight reduction and particle generation during plasma treatments, which can contaminate semiconductor wafers and affect device performance.
Innovation Solution
A crosslinkable fluorine-containing elastomer composition incorporating silicon carbide particles with a bulk density of not more than 0.15 g/cm3, preferably 0.10 g/cm3 or less, and an average particle size of not more than 50 nm, blended in amounts of 1 to 50 parts by mass with the elastomer, to minimize weight reduction and particle generation during O2 and O2/CF4 plasma treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If silica (SiO2) is added to reduce HF generation, then HF generation is sufficiently reduced, but control of water amount becomes difficult leading to outgas generation and curing delay
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the key parameter from using silica (SiO2) to using silicon carbide (SiC) particles with specific bulk density (≤0.15 g/cm³) and particle size (≤50 nm). This parameter change allows achieving HF reduction without the water control problems associated with silica, as SiC does not have the same hydrophilic surface properties that cause water absorption and outgas generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite material approach by blending silicon carbide particles with the fluorine-containing elastomer matrix. The specific combination of SiC filler and elastomer creates a composite that simultaneously achieves HF resistance, maintains proper water content, prevents outgas generation, and ensures adequate curing speed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fillers such as silica and titanium oxide are used, then stability in O3 treatment is achieved, but decomposition occurs in NF3 plasma treatment resulting in weight reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the filler material parameter from oxide-based fillers (silica, titanium oxide) to silicon carbide (SiC) with specific physical parameters (bulk density ≤0.15 g/cm³, particle size ≤50 nm). This parameter change provides resistance to both O3 treatment and NF3 plasma treatment, preventing the weight reduction problem that occurs with oxide fillers in NF3 plasma.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fillers such as carbon black and PTFE powder are used, then stability in NF3 plasma treatment is achieved, but decomposition occurs in ozone treatment resulting in weight reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the filler material from carbon-based fillers (carbon black, PTFE) to silicon carbide (SiC) with specific physical parameters. This parameter change provides simultaneous stability in both NF3 plasma treatment and ozone treatment, eliminating the weight reduction problem that occurs with carbon-based fillers in ozone environments.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If a large amount of SiO2 is blended to reduce HF generation, then HF generation is reduced, but curing is delayed in crosslinking reaction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the filler material from silica (SiO2) to silicon carbide (SiC) with specific bulk density and particle size parameters. This parameter change allows achieving HF reduction without the curing delay problem, as SiC does not interfere with the crosslinking reaction in the same way that silica does.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a crosslinkable elastomer composition which assures a small change in weight in both of There are provided a crosslinkable elastomer composition which assures a small change in weight in both of O2 plasma treatment and O2/CF4 plasma treatment and is capable of significantly inhibiting generation of foreign matters (particles) in these treatments, and a molded article made of the composition. The crosslinkable fluorine-containing elastomer composition comprises a crosslinkable fluorine-containing elastomer, silicon carbide particles having a bulk density of not more than 0.15 g/cm3, and further a crosslinking agent as case demands, and the molded article is obtained by crosslinking the composition.