Characterization of the effect of etch process operating environment on the perfluoroelastomer chamber seal systems

Based on semiconductor process conditions such as power, gas, temperature and pressure, proper elastomer seal material selection is vital to maximizing the performance and productivity of wafer process production systems. Numerous metrology and test methods are used to measure the combined performance of elastomer seals. It is extremely important to take into consideration several performance parameters because minute shifts or modifications to process conditions can have detrimental effects on the production process. Weight loss, FTIR, SEM, Laser Confocal Microscope, and ICP/MS are some of the test methods used by Greene, Tweed to predict, with high confidence, the performance of elastomer seals for specific process conditions. This methodology is used to support the semiconductor research and process development community.