Semiconductors are known as the "rice of industry" and are indispensable to our modern lives.
AGC's materials and technologies support an important part of the process of manufacturing semiconductors.
Question1What are semiconductors? Where are they used?
Semiconductors, which have the ability to process a great deal of information, such as storing information and calculating huge numbers, are used in many of our everyday objects.
For example, semiconductors are used in all kinds of electronic devices such as PCs, smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, and are also used in vehicles such as airplanes and automobiles.
In this world known as the IoT era, semiconductors are now used in more things than ever before. As a result, the semiconductor market is expanding rapidly.
Question2Where are AGC's materials and technologies used?
There are several processes involved in the manufacturing of a semiconductor, and AGC's materials and technologies are used in multiple processes. AGC's silicon carbide and synthetic quartz glass are used in components for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In addition, CMP slurries are used as abrasives to polish semiconductors. Also, glass frit is used as a sealant for special semiconductors that require high airtightness.
AGC materials and technologies are essential to semiconductor manufacturing, such as blanks used to create the photomasks necessary for baking.
Question3Is it true that AGC materials are used in the latest semiconductor manufacturing?
It is true. We have introduced the process of how semiconductors are completed. In recent years, as electronic devices such as PCs and smartphones have become more sophisticated and compact, semiconductors are required to process calculations faster than ever before, to have larger data capacity, and to be more highly integrated.
This requires even finer paths, called "circuit patterns," in semiconductors. Ultra-fine circuit patterns are known as the "7nm* (nanometer) generation" and are said to be difficult to manufacture using conventional technology.
EUV lithography technology is capable of realizing these ultra-fine circuit patterns.
EUV lithography technology requires advanced technology for the "mask blanks," which are the original plates of photomasks, and are one of the most important components that play a key role in EUV lithography technology.
AGC has been developing "mask blanks" since 2003, and supports the evolution of semiconductor manufacturing as the world's only EUV mask blank manufacturer that handles everything from "glass materials" to "film materials" (as of September 2021).
*A nanometer is one millionth of a millimeter.
Question4Is it difficult to manufacture EUV mask blanks?
The performance required of EUV mask blanks is to keep foreign matter as close to zero as possible and to be extremely flat. Using the Tokyo Dome as an analogy, only a few cedar pollens or less of foreign matter are allowed.
In addition, surface irregularities must be less than several tens of micrometers*, which requires extremely high technology. This makes it difficult to manufacture EUV mask blanks.
*A micrometer is one thousandth of a millimeter.
We hope you now understand the importance of AGC's materials and technologies in the process of manufacturing semiconductors. AGC will continue to support semiconductors to support our affluent lives.
