semiconductor etching chemicals

Isopropanol Semiconductor Grade (IPA Ultra-Pure)

CAS: 67-63-0

Semiconductor grade isopropanol (IPA) is an ultra-pure solvent used for wafer drying (Marangoni drying), photoresist dilution, cleaning of equipment surfaces, and as a final rinse solvent in wet bench processes. Its low water content and sub-ppb metallic impurity levels make it suitable for critical front-end and back-end semiconductor cleaning applications.

semiconductor etching chemicals

N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone Semiconductor Grade (NMP)

CAS: 872-50-4

Semiconductor grade N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) is a high-boiling polar aprotic solvent widely used as a photoresist stripper and residue remover in back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes. Its excellent solvency for cross-linked resists and low vapor pressure make it ideal for single-wafer spin-clean tools and immersion strip baths. Ultra-pure grade ensures no metallic contamination of interconnect layers.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Nickel Sulfamate Electroplating Solution

CAS: 13770-89-3

Nickel sulfamate (Ni(SO3NH2)2) is the preferred nickel salt for electroplating applications requiring low internal stress, high deposit hardness, and excellent ductility. In semiconductor packaging, it is used for MEMS electroforming, under-bump metallization (UBM), and magnetic actuator fabrication. Its low-stress deposits are critical for high-aspect-ratio LIGA microstructures.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Nitric Acid Semiconductor Grade (HNO3 69%)

CAS: 7697-37-2

Semiconductor grade nitric acid (69%) is used in silicon etching chemistry, metal surface oxidation, and wafer cleaning processes. In combination with HF, it forms the standard silicon etch mixture (HNA: HF/HNO3/HAc) for isotropic silicon etching. Its ultra-pure formulation meets SEMI C1 standards with trace metal content below 1 ppb.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Nitrogen Trifluoride Chamber Clean Gas (NF3)

CAS: 7783-54-2

Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) is the preferred remote plasma chamber cleaning gas for CVD and ALD reactors, replacing C2F6 and CF4 due to its superior global warming potential (GWP) profile and higher utilization efficiency. NF3 plasma generates reactive F radicals that efficiently remove silicon-based deposits (SiO2, Si3N4, a-Si) from CVD chamber walls without requiring wafer exposure, dramatically reducing chamber downtime.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Octafluorocyclobutane Dielectric Etch Gas (c-C4F8)

CAS: 115-25-3

Octafluorocyclobutane (c-C4F8) is a fluorocarbon gas used as the primary dielectric etch chemistry for high-selectivity oxide and nitride plasma etching in advanced semiconductor patterning. Its high C:F ratio generates polymer-forming precursors in the plasma that passivate sidewalls and silicon surfaces, providing exceptional SiO2/Si selectivity. Also used as the passivation gas in Bosch DRIE silicon etch cycles.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Palladium Chloride Plating Activation (PdCl2)

CAS: 13138-48-2

Palladium chloride (PdCl2) solution is used as an activation catalyst for electroless plating on non-conductive substrates and for sensitizing surfaces prior to electroless nickel or copper deposition. In semiconductor packaging, it enables selective metal deposition on dielectric surfaces for PCB vias, wafer-level packaging, and advanced substrate manufacturing.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Phosphoric Acid Semiconductor Grade (H3PO4 85%)

CAS: 7664-38-2

Semiconductor grade phosphoric acid (85%) is the standard wet etchant for silicon nitride (Si3N4) with high selectivity over silicon dioxide and silicon. When heated to 160–180°C, it selectively etches Si3N4 at rates of 50–100 Å/min, making it essential for STI and LOCOS process integration. Ultra-pure quality minimizes particle and metal contamination.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Piranha Solution Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM)

Piranha solution (SPM: sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture, typically H2SO4:H2O2 = 3:1 to 7:1 v/v) is a highly oxidizing cleaning solution used to remove heavy organic contamination, photoresist residues, and metallic particles from silicon wafer surfaces. The exothermic mixture generates peroxymonosulfuric acid (Caro's acid) which aggressively oxidizes organic matter. Used in both batch and single-wafer SPM tools.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Positive Photoresist Developer CD-26 (TMAH 2.38%)

CAS: 75-59-2

CD-26 photoresist developer is a precisely formulated 2.38% tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) aqueous solution that is the industry-standard developer for positive tone novolac and chemically amplified photoresists. Metal-ion-free chemistry eliminates alkali metal contamination, and the precise TMAH concentration provides predictable, reproducible development contrast and CD control.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Positive Photoresist Novolac (g-line/i-line)

Novolac-based positive photoresists are the classical lithography material for g-line (436nm) and i-line (365nm) UV exposure in semiconductor patterning. Composed of novolac resin and diazonaphthoquinone (DNQ) photoactive compound in PGMEA/PGME solvent, they provide excellent resolution to 0.35 µm, high etch resistance, and compatibility with standard TMAH developers. Widely used in MEMS, display, and legacy CMOS processes.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Potassium Hydroxide Silicon Anisotropic Etch (KOH)

CAS: 1310-58-3

Potassium hydroxide (KOH) aqueous solution is the classical anisotropic silicon etchant used in MEMS fabrication, offering extremely high selectivity between crystallographic planes. Typical concentrations of 20–40 wt% at 70–80°C provide well-controlled etch rates with excellent {100}/{111} selectivity exceeding 100:1. KOH is the preferred etchant for non-CMOS MEMS devices where alkali metal contamination is acceptable.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate (PGMEA)

CAS: 108-65-6

PGMEA (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate) is the dominant photoresist solvent used in advanced lithography processes for 193nm and EUV resist formulations. Its optimal evaporation rate, excellent resin solvency, and low toxicity make it the industry standard casting solvent for positive and negative tone resists. Ultra-pure semiconductor grade minimizes defects and ensures consistent film uniformity.

semiconductor etching chemicals

RCA SC-1 Clean Reagent (NH4OH/H2O2/H2O)

RCA SC-1 (Standard Clean 1, APM: Ammonia-Peroxide Mixture) is a ready-to-use or component-supplied cleaning system using NH4OH:H2O2:H2O (1:1:5 to 1:2:10 v/v) at 65–80°C to remove particles and light organic contamination from silicon wafer surfaces. The mild oxide etch component lifts particles while H2O2 oxidizes organic matter, achieving sub-0.1 count/cm2 particle levels after clean.

semiconductor etching chemicals

SU-8 Epoxy Negative Photoresist

SU-8 is a chemically amplified, epoxy-based negative-tone photoresist capable of producing very thick (1–500 µm), high-aspect-ratio (>20:1) microstructures with near-vertical sidewalls. Widely adopted for MEMS fabrication, microfluidics, and advanced packaging, SU-8 crosslinks upon UV or near-UV exposure to form a chemically and mechanically robust permanent or sacrificial structure suitable for demanding applications.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Silane (Monosilane) CVD Precursor (SiH4)

CAS: 7803-62-5

Monosilane (SiH4) is the fundamental silicon CVD precursor used for depositing polysilicon gates, epitaxial silicon, PECVD silicon nitride (with NH3), PECVD silicon oxide (with N2O/O2), and amorphous silicon thin films. It is also the nucleation precursor for tungsten CVD (WF6/SiH4) and silicon-based dielectric deposition processes across the semiconductor industry.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Spin-On Glass Silicate (SOG Silicate Planarization)

Silicate spin-on glass (SOG) is an inorganic spin-coatable dielectric material based on silicon orthosilicate precursors in an alcohol solvent. Upon spin-coating and curing at 400–450°C, it forms a dense SiO2 film for gap-fill planarization between metal lines in BEOL processes. Silicate SOG provides excellent gap-fill capability for high-aspect-ratio spaces but requires etch-back to avoid cracking in thick applications.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Spin-On Glass Siloxane (Siloxane SOG Dielectric)

Siloxane spin-on glass (SOG) incorporates methyl or phenyl siloxane groups into the SiO2 network, providing a lower dielectric constant (k = 2.7–3.5) and reduced moisture absorption compared to pure silicate SOG. The organic Si-CH3 groups reduce film brittleness and allow thicker coatings without cracking, making siloxane SOG suitable for low-k ILD applications in advanced interconnect processes.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Sulfur Hexafluoride Silicon Plasma Etch (SF6)

CAS: 2551-62-4

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a high-fluorine-content gas widely used as the primary etchant in silicon plasma etching processes, including MEMS deep reactive ion etching (DRIE), silicon trench etch, and polysilicon gate patterning. In the Bosch DRIE process, SF6 alternates with C4F8 passivation cycles to achieve ultra-deep, high-aspect-ratio silicon trenches with vertical sidewalls.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Sulfuric Acid Semiconductor Grade (H2SO4 96%)

CAS: 7664-93-9

Semiconductor grade sulfuric acid (96%) is a primary chemical used in SPM (sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture, piranha) cleaning to remove organic photoresist and contaminants from wafer surfaces. Its ultra-high purity ensures no introduction of metallic impurities during critical cleaning steps. Also used in electroplating baths for copper damascene processes.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Tetraethyl Orthosilicate (TEOS) CVD Precursor

CAS: 78-10-4

Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, Si(OC2H5)4) is the dominant precursor for CVD silicon dioxide deposition in semiconductor manufacturing. TEOS-based PECVD and SACVD processes deposit high-quality SiO2 films with excellent step coverage and conformality at temperatures of 300–750°C. TEOS oxide is used as ILD, STI liner, spacer, and hard mask in CMOS front-end and back-end processes.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide (TMAH 25%)

CAS: 75-59-2

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH, 25% aqueous) is a metal-ion-free alkaline etchant that anisotropically etches silicon along crystal planes, providing high selectivity between {100} and {111} planes. It is widely used in MEMS micromachining for fabricating membranes, cantilevers, and microstructures. As a CMOS-compatible alternative to KOH, TMAH introduces no alkali metal contamination.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Titanium Tetrachloride CVD/ALD Precursor (TiCl4)

CAS: 7550-45-0

Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) is the primary precursor for CVD and ALD deposition of titanium-containing thin films including TiN diffusion barriers, TiO2 high-k dielectrics, and TiSi2 contact silicide. TiCl4-based ALD with NH3 or N2/H2 plasma produces conformal TiN barrier layers in 3D NAND and DRAM capacitor structures. Its high vapor pressure and thermal stability make it ideal for high-throughput semiconductor manufacturing.

semiconductor etching chemicals

Trimethylsilyl Diethylamine (TMSDEA) Silylation Agent

CAS: 996-50-9

Trimethylsilyl diethylamine (TMSDEA) is a silylation reagent used in semiconductor lithography to modify photoresist surface chemistry and enhance adhesion. As a surface treatment agent for silylated resist processes (e.g., DESIRE process), it converts OH groups on resist surfaces to OSi(CH3)3 groups, improving etch selectivity. Also used in ALD surface functionalization and low-k dielectric surface repair.