July 1 – SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed a plastic to meet the next-generation requirement of chip manufacturers to use lasers in chip etching by providing the most effective cleanrooms.

The coming process is a photolithography process using argon-fluoride (ArF) laser technology, but adoption has been delayed by the lackof sufficiently 'clean' plastics used in protective containers (photomasks and reticles) for the IC manufacturing process. To address this, SABIC Innovative Plastics' LNP Specialty Compounds unit has developed the Ultra-Pure Transparent (UPT) Stat-Loy 63000CT series of compounds, which, when used in wafer protection devices, can prevent damage from outgassing that can contaminate wafers, increase rejects and raise costs.

IC manufacture demands stringent cleanroom 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 and, prior to SABIC's development, existing available container materials impeded the move to ArF laser light for years.

The Stat-Loy 63000CT series compounds 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 exhibits high outgassing leading tothe 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, Stat-Loy compounds provide outstanding clarity, cleanliness, and electrical conductivity, and offer more than 20 times the impact resistance of other materials on the market.

The new material is also colourable to virtually any shade of moulded-in colour, including a range of special pigment effects. Stat-Loy series compounds are excellent candidates for photomask and wafer protection devices, chip boxes, MEMS cases, reticle pods and processing carriers.

About SABIC Innovative Plastics
SABIC Innovative Plastics is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with a 75-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, SABIC Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 25 countries and over 10,500 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. SABIC Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s top five petrochemicals manufacturers.