Ultra-high Purity Anhydrous Hydrogen Chloride (AHCl)
Anhydrous Hydrogen Chloride (AHCl) is colorless, thermally stable, corrosive gas with an asphyxiating odor. AHCl has a melting point of -114.2℃ and a boiling point of -85℃, and its density is higher than air.
Uses of AHCl
- Processes of Semiconductor Device Manufacturing
- Chamber and Water Surface Cleaning
- Cleaning reactors in Epitaxial Deposition
- Dry Etching Reagent in Processes and Wet Bench Applications
AHCl Water Content
With an increasing demand for high-performance semiconductor devices, ultra-high-purity anhydrous Hydrogen Chloride (99.999% HCl) gas with low ppb trace metals and extremely low water content is most desirable. Water impurities in HCl directly affect the oxygen concentration at the Epi/Substrate interface. At lower deposition temperatures in an Epi process, there is a greater impact of H2O concentration with oxygen incorporation into the interfacial layers. Water impurities in HCl cause hazing and defects on wafer surfaces. Higher water impurity in AHCl leads to accelerated corrosion, formation of volatile trace metals, and particle contamination from delivery components such as regulators and MFCs.
In standard processes, AHCl is delivered as a liquified gas, water impurities separate by partition coefficients into the liquid phase (because of hydrogen bonding). This phenomenon initially lowers the concentration of H2O in the gas phase but continues to concentrate and change over the usage time of the cylinder. This results in low reliability. Multiple techniques are used to reduce H2O from the AHCl cylinder.
AHCl from EFC Gases & Advanced Materials
At EFC Gases & Advanced Materials, we provide ultra-high purity AHCl with extremely low water content with various purification techniques; water inclusion is also prevented by the process we employ in cylinder baking, polishing or surface roughness treatments, passivation, and Ni plating (controls for H2O <1ppmv).
The demand for AHCl continues to increase significantly (2022-2027) due to the increase in device manufacturing across the world. EFC Gases & Advanced Materials provides an alternative source of AHCl for the semiconductor industry with robust quality control and SQC.
