To meet the increasing requirements of more power and functionality from electronics, the semiconductor industry strives to fit more functionality onto existing integrated circuits or chips. The next-generation of chip manufacture is a photolithography process using argon-fluoride (ArF) laser technology. However, adoption of ArF lasers was delayed by the lack of sufficiently "clean" plastics used in protective containers (photomasks and reticles) for IC manufacturing process. IC manufacture demands stringent clean room procedures. As pitches become finer, the effect of contaminants from plastic outgassing is more pronounced. If volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or leachable ions reach the surface of silicone wafers, photomasks or reticles, they can damage the device or disrupt functionality. The use of higher-powered ArF lasers makes wafers and containers even more susceptible to damage from outgassing.
SABIC Innovative Plastics proactively developed the UPT Stat-Loy 63000CT compounds to help remove a major hurdle in the miniaturization of components. This new material will enable IC foundries to leverage ArF lasers to provide extremely fine circuitry down to 45 nm and below. SABIC Innovative Plastics' LNP* Specialty Compounds business has developed Ultra-Pure Transparent (UPT) Stat-Loy* 63000CT series compounds. In wafer protection devices, UPT Stat-Loy compounds can prevent damage from outgassing that can contaminate wafers, increase rejects, and raise costs. To provide the right solutions for customers, SABIC Innovative Plastics expanded the existing LNP Stat-Loy product line with the Stat-Loy 63000CT series compounds, which are ultra-clean, transparent, permanently antistatic materials, offering ultra-low outgassing of VOCs and low levels of leachable ions. In comparison, transparent antistatic poly(methyl) methacrylate (PMMA) exhibits high outgassing leading to the formation of haze. Opaque, carbon-black-based compounds make it impossible to verify reticle or photomask code numbers against box numbers without opening the containers. However, UPT Stat-Loy 63000CT compounds provide outstanding clarity, cleanliness, and electrical conductivity.
Furthermore, the polycarbonate-alloy-based design provides more than 20 times the impact resistance of other materials on the market. The new material is also colorable to virtually any shade of molded-in color, including a range of special pigment effects. UPT Stat-Loy 63000CT series compounds are excellent candidates for photomask and wafer protection devices, chip boxes, MEMS cases, reticle pods, and processing carriers.