The workshop on ultra-clean process technology for integrated circuits was successfully held.

As semiconductor process nodes continue to evolve, the requirements for wafer surface cleanliness are becoming increasingly stringent. Microcontaminants on wafer surfaces are critical factors that affect chip yield and chip product performance. To address the new challenges and demands posed by advanced processes for microcontamination control, the Integrated Circuit Materials Industry Technology Innovation Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the “Materials Alliance”) and KB Filter Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “KB Filter”) jointly organized an Integrated Circuit Ultra-Clean Process Technology Workshop, which was successfully held on November 19 in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou.

The conference was held in a hybrid online-and-offline format. Over 80 senior executives, technical personnel from upstream and downstream companies in the integrated circuit manufacturing industry—including those specializing in silicon materials, process chemicals, photoresists, and CMP materials—as well as scholars from research institutes, attended the event.

Vice District Mayor Ni Shiying of Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, delivered the opening remarks, warmly congratulating the successful convening of this workshop and expressing Xiaoshan District’s strong commitment to vigorously supporting the development of the integrated circuit industry.

Speech by Vice District Mayor Ni Shiying

Secretary-General Shi Ying of the Materials Alliance delivered a video address, stating that over the past decade, China’s integrated circuit materials industry has achieved remarkable progress. A number of enterprises have grown into industry leaders, and many products have been widely adopted in domestic logic circuits and advanced memory manufacturing. However, micro-contamination—such as particle contamination and metal impurity contamination—in material technology development, production, and application remains a common technical challenge facing the industry today. In areas including silicon wafers, photoresists, process chemicals, specialty electronic gases, and even target materials, ultra-clean technologies are critically important and central to success. Therefore, starting this year, the Materials Alliance will hold regular workshops on ultra-clean processing technologies. She expressed gratitude to all the guests for attending the conference, thanked the presenters for their upcoming insightful reports, and acknowledged Keboite’s role in organizing and supporting this event. She also extended her best wishes for the successful conclusion of the conference.

Secretary-General Shi Ying delivered a speech online.

Following that, Zhang Yingmin, founder and CEO of Kebote, delivered a speech in which he outlined Kebote’s development progress. He noted that Kebote has consistently focused on advancing membrane technology, offering micro-pollution filtration and purification solutions for over 200 process steps in the integrated circuit industry—including lithography, cleaning, etching, and polishing—achieving a minimum precision of just 1 nanometer. Kebote’s journey in the R&D of nano-filtration and purification membranes would not have been possible without the strong support of our valued customers. Moving forward, Kebote remains committed to overcoming various technical challenges and will continue working hand-in-hand with companies across the entire industry chain to jointly create a brighter future.

CEO Zhang Yingmin’s Address

Yu Wenjie, Chairman of the Shanghai Integrated Circuit Materials Research Institute, delivered a speech in which he stated that the integrated circuit industry is strategic, foundational, and pioneering. As the national integrated circuit industry continues to develop and deepen, each supporting link in the industrial chain is attracting increasing attention. This conference serves as a platform for enhancing communication, exchange, and interaction between upstream and downstream players in the industrial chain. He warmly congratulated the organizers on holding this workshop and wished it every success.

Chairman Yu Wenjie’s Address

This conference specially invited Sun Peng, Chief Operating Officer of Wuhan Xinxin Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Li Fangke, Head of the Advanced Module Wet-Process R&D Department at Shanghai Huali Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Wang Shengli, Application Director at Anji Microelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; and Yamada Yoshiaki, CTO of Hangzhou Kebote Filtration Equipment Co., Ltd., to deliver insightful presentations.

Li Fang, Chief Engineer and Advanced Module Wet-Process R&D Expert at Shanghai HuaLi Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd., delivered an online presentation titled “Development of Advanced Process Cleaning Technologies and Their Demand for Related Materials.” In her presentation, she provided direction and recommendations to material suppliers by highlighting the evolution and challenges facing cleaning processes. As transistor structures gradually transition to three-dimensional fin-type architectures, the introduction of strain-engineered silicon-germanium alloys, and the increasing prevalence of high-aspect-ratio deep-trench structures, cleaning process steps now account for roughly 20-30% of total process steps, driving a continuous rise in demand for related materials. Meanwhile, HuaLi’s R&D department is actively collaborating with industry partners to conduct comprehensive evaluations of various wet-process equipment and chemical materials.

In his report titled “Microcontamination Control of High-Purity Chemicals,” Sun Peng, Chief Operating Officer of Wuhan Xinxin Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd., pointed out that over the next 5 to 7 years, the global semiconductor market will generally show an optimistic upward trend, with increasingly diversified drivers of market demand. Advanced manufacturing processes are placing higher demands on wet etching, requiring etching processes to improve yield rates and ensure reliable control. Microparticle control is one of the key factors in this regard. He also shared several case studies and highlighted three critical aspects for ensuring a high-quality supply of chemicals: stable production, vigilance against changes, and rapid response capabilities. In particular, the preservation and monitoring of data are of utmost importance. Suppliers must adopt a systematic and digital approach to quality management in order to guarantee a consistently high-quality and stable supply of chemicals to fabs.

In his presentation titled “Advanced Post-Etch Cleaning Technologies,” Wang Shengli, Application Director at Anji Microelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., stated that Anji’s portfolio of wet-chemical solutions can meet the diverse needs of HVM applications, including aluminum, copper, and cobalt interconnects as well as wafer-level packaging. Anji has consistently focused on CMP polishing slurries and custom wet-chemical products, and after 15 years of accumulated experience, it has developed robust quality-control capabilities with on-site support. As one of the industry leaders in the formulation of wet-chemical solutions, Anji is committed to fostering even closer collaboration with its customers and partners.

The final presentation of the morning was given by Yoshinori Yamada, Chief Technology Officer of KOBELCO, on “Comprehensive Cleanliness Solutions for Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes.” He noted that as semiconductor devices become increasingly miniaturized and highly integrated, the number of semiconductor process steps continues to rise, and the variety of chemicals used is expanding. This trend has led to ever-increasing demands for higher chemical quality, giving rise to a series of challenges: how to control contamination throughout the chemical supply chain; how to maintain and enhance the purity of chemical solutions; and from a cost perspective, how to adopt more effective approaches. He also introduced KOBELCO’s relevant products and emphasized that while developing new products, the company has simultaneously been pioneering new evaluation technologies, introducing state-of-the-art analytical equipment, and placing great emphasis on enhancing its own equipment management capabilities to ensure that analytical instruments are kept in optimal condition at all times.

In the afternoon, the attending technical experts visited Kebote Semiconductor’s Class-100 cleanroom for semiconductor filter cartridges, the 7,000-square-meter technology validation center, the 200L ultra-clean packaging drum facility, and the workshop for manufacturing equipment with high-purity chemical liners. The guests gained a close and direct understanding of Kebote’s corporate culture, production processes, and quality control system, which will play a positive role in future technological and industrial collaborations.

Following that, the technical exchange meeting was chaired by Xu Congying, an expert from the Materials Alliance Advisory Committee and General Manager of Ningbo Nanda Optoelectronic Materials Co., Ltd. The attendees jointly discussed the challenges facing micro-contamination control in advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. Experts in process chemicals and photoresist technologies shared the current status of materials as well as the pressing issues that urgently need to be addressed. Among these, the purification of TMAH and the packaging containers for high-purity chemicals drew particular attention. Participants unanimously expressed that this workshop was an extremely effective format for exploring micro-contamination problems encountered at the application end and throughout various material production stages, as well as for identifying and developing solutions to these challenges.