What is fluorine-containing gas?

Electronic special gases (abbreviated as "electronic special gases") are an important branch of special gases. They penetrate almost every link of semiconductor production and are indispensable raw materials for the production of electronic industries such as ultra-large-scale integrated circuits, flat panel display devices, and solar cells.

In semiconductor technology, fluorine-containing gases are widely used. Currently, in the global electronic gas market, fluorine-containing electronic gases account for about 30% of the total. Fluorine-containing electronic gases are an important component of special electronic gases in the field of electronic information materials. They are mainly used as cleaning agents and etching agents, and can also be used as dopants, film-forming materials, etc. In this article, the author will take you to understand the common fluorine-containing gases.

The following are commonly used fluorine-containing gases:

(1) Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3): A gas used for cleaning and removing deposits, usually for cleaning reaction chambers and equipment surfaces.

(2) Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6): A fluorinating agent used in oxide deposition processes and as an insulating gas for filling insulating media.

(3) Hydrogen fluoride (HF): Used to remove oxides from the silicon surface and as an etchant for etching silicon and other materials.

(4) Nitrogen fluoride (NF): Used to etch materials such as silicon nitride (SiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN).

(5) Trifluoromethane (CHF3) and tetrafluoromethane (CF4): Used to etch fluoride materials such as silicon fluoride and aluminum fluoride.

However, fluorine-containing gases have certain hazards, including toxicity, corrosiveness, and flammability.

(1) Toxicity: Some fluorine-containing gases are toxic, such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), whose vapor has a strong irritating effect on the skin and respiratory tract and is harmful to human health.

(2) Corrosiveness: Hydrogen fluoride and some fluorides are highly corrosive and can cause serious damage to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract.

(3) Flammability: Some fluorides are flammable and react with oxygen or water in the air to release intense heat and toxic gases, which may cause fire or explosion.

(4) High-pressure hazard: Some fluorinated gases are explosive under high pressure and require special care when used and stored.

(5) Impact on the environment: Fluorine-containing gases have a high atmospheric lifetime and GWP value, which can damage the atmospheric ozone layer and may cause global warming and environmental pollution.

The application of gases in emerging fields such as electronics has continued to deepen, bringing a large amount of new demand for industrial gases. Based on the large amount of new production capacity of major electronic components such as semiconductors and display panels in mainland China in the next few years, as well as the strong demand for import substitution of electronic chemical materials, the domestic electronic gas industry will usher in a relatively high growth.