[KoMiCo Lab] The Evolution of APS Ceramic Coatings ③ - FineCera™ & SF™ Coating Based on F-Series Materials
As semiconductor processes become increasingly miniaturized and integrated, the plasma environments to which equipment components are exposed are reaching ever more extreme conditions. In particular, during the etching process, high-energy ions and reactive radicals continuously erode the inner walls and components of the equipment, causing particle generation and yield loss, which are major process risks.
To address these issues, APS (Atmospheric Plasma Spray) coating technologies based on YF₃ and Y-O-F have recently been gaining attention. Today, we introduce FineCera™ and SF™, high-performance F-series ceramic coatings developed by KoMiCo. These coatings demonstrate excellent chemical stability, particle suppression performance, and reduced seasoning time under high-plasma environments.
■ Overcoming the Limitations of Conventional Materials: Why YF₃ and Y-O-F?
Conventional Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃-based coatings each have their unique advantages, but they show clear limitations in high-temperature, high-density fluorine-based (F-series) plasma environments.
- Al₂O₃ offers excellent mechanical strength and electrical insulation, but it is chemically vulnerable to F-series plasma. This results in rapid erosion, surface roughening, and a rise in particle generation.
- Y₂O₃, on the other hand, demonstrates strong plasma resistance. However, under repeated plasma exposure, a Y-O-F layer forms, leading to volume expansion and cracking, which again causes particle contamination.
The ideal solution to these problems lies in YF₃ and Y-O-F. Both materials possess a crystalline structure that is stably bonded with fluorine, resulting in minimal additional reactions with F⁻ ions in the plasma. As a result, they exhibit low surface chemical change, reduced risk of fragmentation, and most notably, they are highly effective in shortening seasoning time.
What is Seasoning Time?
Seasoning time refers to the initial stabilization process in semiconductor manufacturing, during which dummy wafers are exposed to plasma after equipment cleaning or component replacement to adapt to actual process conditions.
The longer this step takes, the longer it takes to bring the equipment back online, leading to reduced productivity and higher maintenance costs. Consequently, many studies are underway to find ways to minimize seasoning time.
■ FineCera™: Enhanced Plasma Corrosion Resistance Technology Based on YF₃
KoMiCo's FineCera™ coating is a premium APS (Atmospheric Plasma Spray) ceramic coating solution that maximizes the advantages of YF₃ material. It is gaining attention as a technology capable of simultaneously addressing two of the most critical challenges in etching processes: particle generation and seasoning time.
FineCera™ operates through a mechanism where reactive radicals in the plasma (such as O, H, and OH) temporarily react with F⁻ ions on the surface to form unstable compounds. These compounds are then naturally etched and removed by plasma ions. This reaction mechanism prevents particles from remaining or accumulating on the coating surface, resulting in a dramatic reduction in particle generation within the chamber.
FineCera™ also significantly shortens seasoning time. While conventional ceramic coatings require time to stabilize their surfaces when adapting to plasma environments, FineCera™ maintains chemical stability from the initial exposure, allowing for rapid process transitions. As a result, the equipment startup time after regular cleaning is reduced, and the consumption of dummy wafers is minimized, leading to improved productivity.
Most importantly, FineCera™ is based on YF₃, a material highly resistant to F⁻ ions. While Al₂O₃ is rapidly eroded under plasma due to its chemical weakness, and Y₂O₃ suffers from structural changes and delamination issues after prolonged exposure, FineCera™ shows relatively minimal structural changes even during extended use, ensuring long-term coating stability.
■ SF™: Zero Seasoning Time, Minimal Particle Risk
In high-temperature, high-density plasma environments, semiconductor equipment components are constantly exposed to chemical reactions and erosion. Especially in the etching process, a seasoning phase is essential to stabilize the equipment even immediately after cleaning—often resulting in significant time and economic losses.
KoMiCo's SF™ Coating (Seasoning-Free Coating) is a next-generation APS ceramic coating solution that dramatically addresses these issues. As its name suggests, SF™ is engineered to enable stable plasma processing immediately, without the need for a separate seasoning process. This is achieved through a Y-O-F-based composite ceramic material, which combines the strengths of both Y₂O₃ and YF₃.
Y-O-F materials maintain exceptional stability without additional chemical structural changes, even when exposed to plasma, offering a stable surface property from the initial process stage. In contrast, conventional Y₂O₃-based coatings undergo surface transformation into Y-O-F layers during plasma exposure, which can lead to a chain of problems including volume expansion → cracking → delamination → generation of Y-based particles.
SF™, on the other hand, already features a stabilized fluorinated structure, effectively blocking this cascade of reactions at the source. It also significantly reduces fragmentation under mechanical stress or thermal shock.
The chemical and physical stability of SF™ goes beyond merely suppressing particle generation—it contributes to overall process quality consistency and improved yield. In particular, it enables long-term stable processing without etch rate drift, making it highly effective in high-precision semiconductor applications.
Furthermore, the significant reduction in dummy wafer consumption during the seasoning phase not only lowers raw material costs but also minimizes equipment preparation time. Ultimately, this leads to higher equipment uptime and maximized overall productivity.
In the next installment, we will introduce KoMiCo’s AD Coating (Aerosol Deposition) technology.
AD Coating is a next-generation coating solution that enhances plasma resistance through surface densification and provides effective particle control. It significantly improves initial process stabilization, making it a key solution for enhancing both reliability and productivity in semiconductor manufacturing.
We look forward to your continued interest and support in the upcoming article.
<About KoMiCo>
KoMiCo, established in 1996, was the first company in Korea to commercialize cleaning and coating services for semiconductor equipment components. With global operations spanning the United States, China, Taiwan, and Singapore, KoMiCo has earned quality certifications from some of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, solidifying its position as a Global No.1 in the industry.
Building on its advanced cleaning and coating technologies, KoMiCo continues to enhance its core business while expanding into the development and supply of key OEM components for semiconductor equipment. Moving forward, the company remains committed to improving customers’ productivity and yield, and aims to become a global leader in the semiconductor component cleaning, coating, and manufacturing industry.
