Ceramic material is an indispensable material in human life and modernization. It is one of the most influential inorganic nonmetallic materials after metallic materials and nonmetallic materials. It has the common advantages of metal materials and polymer materials. In the process of continuous modification, ceramic materials with its excellent performance in the field of materials, have been greatly valued by people. In the future, social development will play a very vital role. Among them, oxide ceramics have the characteristics of extreme hardness, strong wear resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., especially there is no oxidation problem, so as a special structural ceramic materials and has a wide range of applications.
Oxide ceramics mainly include magnesium oxide ceramics, alumina ceramics, beryllium oxide ceramics, zirconia ceramics, tin oxide ceramics, silicon dioxide ceramics, mullite ceramics. The most commonly used are alumina ceramics and zirconia ceramics.
Al2O3 ceramic extreme temperature resistance, low thermal conductivity, can be used as heat insulation material, such as for missile nozzle sleeve, thermocouple protective sleeve, jet flame controller, can also be used as elevated temperature furnace tube, crucible, transparent alumina ceramic can also be used as sodium tube. In chemical applications, Al2O3 ceramic also has a wide range of uses, such as ceramic chemical packing ball, inorganic microfiltration membrane, corrosion resistant coating. Because of its elevated melting point, low thermal conductivity and strong oxidation resistance, ZrO2 ceramic materials can be used as elevated temperature ceramics for refractory materials and furnace lining materials. Al2O3 and ZrO2 can also be used to prepare ceramic membranes for fine filtration of various materials and liquids in the hydrometallurgical process. And the ceramic foam filter is used to filter the metal liquid in the casting process.
Today, in addition to these applications, there is another critical area where oxide ceramics have a significant position: in semiconductor equipment. It is understood that a large number of precision ceramic parts will be used in semiconductor equipment, and these ceramic parts can account for more than 10% of the cost of semiconductor equipment, among which alumina, zirconia and other oxide ceramics are more commonly used in precision parts with ceramic materials.
For example, alumina ceramics, in semiconductor etching equipment, etching machine chamber materials as the main source of wafer contamination, plasma etching on its impact degree determines the yield, quality of wafer, etching process stability and so on. Therefore, the research and development of an highly resistant cavity material has become a highly challenging task in the semiconductor integration industry and plasma etching technology. At present, superior purity Al2O3 coating or al 3 o 3 ceramics are mainly used as protective materials for etching cavity and cavity parts. In addition to cavities, alumina ceramics are also required for gas nozzles in plasma equipment, gas distribution plates, and fixed rings for securing wafers. For example, in the wafer polishing process, alumina ceramics can be widely used in polishing plates, polishing pad correction platforms, vacuum suckers, etc.
Zirconia ceramics also have significant applications in semiconductor equipment, such as ceramic cleat, which is an indispensable tool in the process of lead bonding. The main component of ceramic cleat of some manufacturers is zirconia reinforced alumina, whose microstructure is uniform and dense, and the density is increased to 4.3g/cm3. The content and uniform and compact microstructure of tetragonal zirconia make the zirconium-doped ceramic splitter have excellent mechanical properties and reduce the wear and replacement times of ceramic splitter tip during the welding process.
In short, the application of oxide ceramics in semiconductor equipment is much more extensive than we imagined, coinciding with the current complex international trade situation, the urgent demand of semiconductor equipment and materials industry will promote the research and development and production of ceramic parts for domestic semiconductor equipment, which is both an opportunity and a challenge.