{"id":2599,"date":"2026-10-15T05:37:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/?p=2599"},"modified":"2026-10-15T05:37:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T05:37:57","slug":"yof-ceramic-coatings-for-semiconductor-etch-chambers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/yof-ceramic-coatings-for-semiconductor-etch-chambers\/","title":{"rendered":"YOF Ceramic Coatings for Semiconductor Etch Chambers: Why Fluorine-Containing Surfaces Are Gaining Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advanced semiconductor etching requires increasingly aggressive plasma environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fluorine-containing gases are widely used to etch materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride and other semiconductor films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same plasma that removes material from the wafer also attacks the chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This creates a major materials challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chamber-facing components must survive chemical attack and energetic ion bombardment without generating particles that can fall onto the wafer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026, <strong>yttrium oxyfluoride, or YOF<\/strong>, is receiving increasing attention as a plasma-resistant surface material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Y\u2082O\u2083 Is Already Widely Used<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yttria, Y\u2082O\u2083, is widely used for plasma-resistant coatings because it forms relatively stable fluorinated surface products when exposed to fluorine-containing plasma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compared with many conventional oxide ceramics, it can provide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reduced chemical erosion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lower contamination;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>longer chamber-component life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Y\u2082O\u2083 is not immune to plasma attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Repeated fluorination and ion bombardment can change surface roughness and release particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why researchers are looking at materials that already contain fluorine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Logic Behind YOF<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">YOF contains yttrium, oxygen and fluorine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because fluorine is already part of the material structure, the surface can be chemically closer to the fluorinated reaction layer that would otherwise develop gradually on Y\u2082O\u2083.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal is not simply lower mass loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For semiconductor manufacturing, the more important objectives may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>stable surface chemistry;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>low roughness change;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reduced particle generation;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reduced process drift.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A coating that erodes slowly but cracks and releases particles is still problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">New 2026 Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A major October 2026 review of fluorine-plasma-resistant ceramic coatings concluded that pre-fluorinated materials such as YF\u2083 and YOF offer a favorable balance between chemical stability and surface integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Importantly, the review emphasized that low corrosion rate alone does not guarantee low particle risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another October 2026 study converted the surface of a Y\u2082O\u2083 coating toward YOF using YF\u2083-assisted heat treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After exposure to CF\u2084\/O\u2082\/Ar plasma, the modified YOF surface showed a reported <strong>23.8% lower surface-roughness change<\/strong> than the original Y\u2082O\u2083 coating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These results explain why YOF is becoming an important coating-development direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YOF vs. Y\u2082O\u2083 vs. YF\u2083<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no universal best material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Y\u2082O\u2083<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ventajas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>mature coating route;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>established semiconductor use;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>good fluorine-plasma resistance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Limitaciones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>initial surface fluorination;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>possible roughness evolution;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>particle generation after repeated exposure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YF\u2083<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ventajas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>already fluorinated;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>good chemical stability in fluorine environments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Limitaciones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>different mechanical and coating behavior;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>coating microstructure can influence durability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YOF<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Potential advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>fluorinated chemistry;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>oxide-fluoride structural balance;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>good surface stability;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>potentially reduced process-conditioning change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Actual performance depends strongly on plasma recipe and coating process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coating Microstructure Matters as Much as Chemistry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two YOF coatings with the same nominal composition may perform differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Important variables include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>porosity;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>coating thickness;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>grain structure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>crack density;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>adhesion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>surface roughness;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>deposition method.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Atmospheric plasma spray can create relatively thick coatings but may also create pores and splat boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PVD or other dense-film methods can create a different microstructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, material name alone does not define plasma lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Particle Control Is Becoming the Real Metric<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At advanced semiconductor nodes, a microscopic particle can destroy a critical device feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For chamber ceramics, the key question is therefore shifting from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How slowly does the ceramic corrode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How stable does the surface remain while it corrodes?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A coating may show a low average etch rate but still generate particles through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>grain pullout;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cracking;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>reaction-layer delamination;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>localized erosion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Future chamber-material qualification is likely to evaluate both erosion rate and particle behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where YOF Could Be Used<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Possible applications include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>chamber liners;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>shields;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>plasma-facing rings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>electrode coatings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ceramic chamber walls;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>protective surfaces near the wafer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exact material should still be selected according to gas chemistry, RF bias, ion energy and contamination requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Qualification Must Reproduce the Actual Plasma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A coating that performs well in one CF\u2084 test may behave differently in NF\u2083, CHF\u2083 or mixed plasma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Useful qualification therefore needs to reproduce:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>qu\u00edmica de los gases;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>chamber pressure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>source power;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RF bias;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>component temperature;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>exposure time;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cleaning cycle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Side-by-side testing under the same chamber conditions provides much more useful information than comparing erosion values from unrelated publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Y\u2082O\u2083 will remain an important semiconductor ceramic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The emergence of YOF does not make yttria obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, it reflects a broader industry trend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>plasma-resistant ceramics are evolving from simple bulk material selection toward engineered surface chemistry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As etch processes become more aggressive, fluorinated ceramics and carefully controlled composite coatings are likely to become increasingly important.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advanced semiconductor etching requires increasingly aggressive plasma environments. Fluorine-containing gases are widely used to etch materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride and other semiconductor films. The same plasma that removes material from the wafer also attacks the chamber. This creates a major materials challenge. Chamber-facing components must survive chemical attack and energetic ion bombardment [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2608,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599\/revisions\/2608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.xkh-ceramics.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}