Semiconductor, Solar & Display

Protective Coating For Semiconductor Fabrication Equipment

Less contamination and longer life for semifab process equipment (ETCH and Deposition)

>99.99% pure Electroplated AlumiPlate® Aluminum provides superior corrosion protection with less contamination, reduced scrap, lower maintenance costs, and extended service life.

High purity aluminum is dense, and free of voids and defects. It can be uniformly deposited to any thickness serving as an ideal protective coating for semiconductor fabrication equipment, gas distribution plates and solar manufacturing components.

• The aluminum platting is typically more than 99.99% pure, free of voids and alloying elements, with extremely low levels of contaminants.
• The thin and dense aluminum coating prevents diffusion of trace elements in Al 6061 and other materials mitigating contamination in the chamber processing environment.
• The coating enables higher performance and longer life of critical semiconductor etching and deposition process components, thereby allowing effective migration to reduced integrated circuit feature sizes.
• The aluminum coating enables anodization of any material to combine the best properties of non-anodizeable substrates with the surface properties of pure alumina.
• Anodized electroplated aluminum offers protection at unprecedented levels with very high corrosion resistance and dielectric strength. Breakdown voltages measure in excess of 2,000 volts per 0.001 inch of aluminum oxide coating layer thickness.
• This coating unlocks the full performance of standard and next-generation anodization of semiconductor fabrication equipment.
• Can be used in temperatures up to 400 °C, with intermittent exposure up to 500 °C.
• Can be diffused into high-temperature alloys to form an aluminide coating that is resistant to corrosion, exhibits high wear capability and withstands temperatures up to 1100 °C.
• Transforms the surface of any structural substrate with the application of a high purity aluminum coating facilitating the use of the highest performance and highest value materials.

Independent lab testing results are included in our white paper, High Purity Electroplated Aluminum Coatings for Critical Components in Dry Etch and Process Chamber Environments.

A Dense and Impenetrable Elemental Al Barrier to Diffusion

Trace elements and impurities are orders of magnitude lower than those found in Al alloys (as indicated in the table below). A dense, void-free structure acts as an impervious barrier to diffusion of substrate contaminants and corrosion products at temperatures as high as 450 °C.

Unprotected components can immediately be protected from the aggressive gases and acids used during semiconductor etching and deposition cycles. Pure Aluminum prevents Copper and Zinc contamination by simultaneously retarding corrosion of the substrate, and presenting a physical barrier to high temperature elemental diffusion.

A Superior Anodized Surface on any Material with Typically >99.99% Pure Aluminum

Electroplated aluminum facilitates the use of non-traditional materials that have attractive properties for a specific application. Until now, the limited compatibility of these materials with the end-use environment precluded their use in semiconductor environments.

Specifically, corrosion-resistant pure Aluminum alloys do not possess the mechanical properties necessary for structural applications. They can be difficult and expensive to procure with extremely long lead times for custom alloys. Even if available, specialized techniques may be required during component fabrication, negatively affecting yields, costs and leads times.

By electroplating the component with typically more than 99.99% pure aluminum, material and design engineers can take advantage of the relevant bulk material properties (strength, thermal conductivity, CTE, stiffness, machinability, etc.) AND enhance service life.

• Anodized electroplated Al significantly outperforms anodized Al 6061 offering improved corrosion resistance, purity and dielectric strength.
• Provides a more pure aluminum oxide, or alumina, coating layer than anodized Al 6061, with orders of magnitude lower levels of contaminants.
• The Aluminum plating thickness can be optimized based on required anodization thickness (standard Types I, II, III sulfuric or high performance oxalic and mixed-acid).
• Not limited to Al alloys, facilitating the use of Fe and Ni-based super alloys, SST, copper, graphite, or any other material.

Contact us either by phone call or email to start extending semiconductor fabrication equipment life, reducing contamination, mitigating contaminant diffusion, increasing yields and lowering maintenance costs in SemiFab, Display and Solar manufacturing with Electroplated High Purity AlumiPlate® Aluminum.