Corrosion of stainless steels and corrosion protection strategies in the semiconductor manufacturing industry: a review

Abstract

Stainless steels are used extensively in semiconductor manufacturing as chamber, structure component and gas delivery systems. The corrosion in the aggressive gas in the semiconductor manufacturing industry leads to particle release, contaminating wafers and limiting their application. Moisture content can accelerate the corrosion rate of stainless steel. In a high-temperature environment, the corrosion is determined by the synergistic effect of the vapour of the corrosion product and thermal ageing. To eliminate corrosion, lots of efforts have been performed and categorized into three aspects: (1) Material purification using innovating metallurgy techniques, especially vacuum induction melting (VIM) and vacuum arc remelting (VAR). The ultra-pure stainless steel minimizes the inclusion in stainless steel, suppressing the breakdown of the passive film. (2) Smoothing the surface by polishing; the polishing surface shows hydrophobic behaviour and decreases moisture absorption. (3) Applying surface and coating techniques against corrosion, including passivation treatment and electroplating/electroless Ni-based coating. Herein, the techniques mentioned above are reviewed, and the prospect and development of stainless steel in the semiconductor manufacturing industry are forecasted.