Semes Develops New Cleaning Equipment... Impurity Removal Rate Over 90%

Over 90% Chemical Reuse Possible

Semes, a domestic semiconductor equipment company, announced on the 7th that it has newly developed a high-temperature wet phosphoric acid cleaning equipment for semiconductor manufacturing called 'Blue Ice Prime.'

Sems' high-temperature phosphoric acid 'Blue Ice Prime' equipment /
[Photo by Semes]

The wet phosphoric acid process involves discharging high-temperature phosphoric acid (H3PO4) above 170℃ onto the wafer surface to treat the patterned area. However, many companies have failed to develop this technology due to difficulties in securing etching uniformity and impurity removal techniques.

Semes differentiated its wet phosphoric acid process technology by equipping a self-developed chuck that heats the wafer to a high temperature, improving temperature uniformity between the center and edge of the wafer, and increasing the impurity removal rate to over 90%, overcoming the limitations of the existing batch-type wet cleaning method.

Additionally, to minimize wastewater generated during the process, the company developed chemical recycling technology that allows more than 90% of the used chemicals to be reused. The company explained that this is suitable for eco-friendly green fab (factory) facilities recently demanded by semiconductor equipment customers.

Jung Tae-kyung, CEO of Semes, stated, "Currently, the high-temperature wet phosphoric acid technology is registered as a national advanced technology and product by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy." He added, "We plan to increase sales and secure competitiveness in eco-friendly equipment by developing new products that converge and combine various semiconductor process technologies."