Semiconductor Gases
Process gases are a critical component of semiconductor manufacturing, as they are used to perform various tasks that cannot be accomplished by other means. These gases are used to create a clean and controlled environment for semiconductor fabrication, allowing for precise control over the manufacturing process. Many of these gases have been refined to be 99% pure.
Cleaning gases are used in the semiconductor manufacturing process to remove contaminants and impurities from the wafer's surface. These gases are typically used in a plasma cleaning process, which involves the use of a high-energy plasma to remove any unwanted material. Some of the commonly used cleaning gases include:
Oxygen (O2): Oxygen is used to oxidize the contaminants present on the wafer surface and to create a layer of silicon dioxide.
Argon (Ar): Argon is an inert gas that is used in plasma cleaning to create a reactive environment.
Etching gases are used to selectively remove specific layers of material from the wafer's surface. This process is used to create patterns and structures on the wafer. Some commonly used etching gases include:
Chlorine (C12): Chlorine is used for reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, which involve creating patterns on the wafer surface.
Fluorine (F2): Fluorine is used for deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) processes, which involve etching deep holes in the wafer.
Deposition gases are used to add new layers of material to the wafer's surface. The deposition process can be either chemical or physical. Some of the commonly used deposition gases include:
ilane (SiH4): Silane is used for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, which involve the growth of a thin film of silicon on the wafer surface. Tungsten hexafluoride (WF6): Tungsten hexafluoride is used for physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes, which involve depositing a thin layer of tungsten on the wafer surface.
Apart from the above-mentioned process gases, there are other gases that are used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Some of these gases include:
Nitrogen (N2): Nitrogen is an inert gas that is used for purging and filling processes, such as chamber cleaning and annealing.
Hydrogen (H2): Hydrogen is used for annealing processes and to remove oxides from the wafer surface
A complete list of semiconductor high-purity process gases used during the manufacturing process include:
| Gas | Chemical symbol |
|---|---|
| Allene | C3H4 |
| Ammonia | NH3 |
| Argon | Ar |
| Arsenic Trifluoride | AsF3 |
| Arsine | AsH3 |
| Boron Trichloride | BCl3 |
| Bromine | Br2 |
| Carbon Dioxide | CO2 |
| Carbon Monoxide | CO |
| Carbon Tetrafluoride | CF4 |
| Chlorine | Cl2 |
| Chlorine Trifluoride | ClF3 |
| Diborane | B2H6 |
| Disilane | Si2H6 |
| Ethylene Oxide | C2H4O |
| Helium | He |
| Hexafluoroethane | C2F6 |
| Hydrogen | H2 |
| Hydrogen Bromide | HBr |
| Hydrogen Chloride | HCl |
| Hydrogen Fluoride | HF |
| Hydrogen Sulfide | H2S |
| Molybdenum Hexafluoride | MoF6 |
| Neon | Ne |
| Nitric Oxide | NO |
| Nitrogen | N2 |
| Nitrogen Trifluoride | NF3 |
| Nitrous Oxide | N2O |
| Oxygen | O2 |
| Pentaborane | B6H9 |
| Phosgene | COCl2 |
| Phosphine | PH3 |
| Phosphorous Pentafluoride | PF5 |
| Phosphourous Trifluoride | PF3 |
| Silane | SiH4 |
| Silicon Tetrachloride | SiCl4 |
| Silicon Tetrafluoride | SiF4 |
| Stibine | SbH3 |
| Sulfur Dioxide | SO2 |
| Sulfur Hexafluoride | SF6 |
| Titanium Tetrachloride | TiCl4 |
| Triethyl Gallium | Ga(C2H5)3 |
| Trimethyl Arsine | As(CH3)3 |
| Trimethyl Gallium | Ga(CH3)3 |
| Trimethyl Indium | In(C2H5)3 |
| Tungsten Hexafluoride | WF6 |
| Uranium Hexafluoride | UF6 |
| Vinyl Bromide | C2H3Br |
| Vinyl Chloride | C2H3Cl |
| Vinyl Fluoride | C2H3F |
