Toray Industries, Inc., has commercialized a mold release film that is free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS¹) for advanced semiconductor applications. The film’s material does not contain the organic fluorine compounds that European and other countries are looking to regulate. As a result, the film could help improve operational rates in advanced semiconductor manufacturing by slashing problematic mold contamination by more than 80%.

Generally, semiconductors are essential to modern living. Their diverse applications include automobiles, smartphones, PCs and servers. In recent years, technological innovations on semiconductors for such future social infrastructure deployments as 5G communication, generative AI, automatic driving, and telemedicine, have centered on both front-end nano-ultra-fine wafer processes and back-end semiconductor packaging processes.

Mainly, semiconductor packaging entails electrically packaging IC chips to protect them from external environments and provide connections between terminals. In mold processes, a release film positioned between mold resins and molds prevents contamination. Increasingly complex mold shapes for advanced semiconductors, mold release film breakage during mold forming, and wrinkles in mold release film transferring to mold resins have made contamination from mold resins more frequent.

Leverages NANOALLOY Technology

Toray set about overcoming these challenges by harnessing its NANOALLOY™²technology. Mainly, it aims to develop a mold release film providing a gas barrier and heat resistance flexibility. Particularly, the barrier cuts mold stains from certain substances by more than 80% from regular levels. Meanwhile, the heat-resistance flexibility prevents film breakage and wrinkle transfers during mold forming.

Generally, conventional mold release films use PFAS materials. Toray’s new offering is more eco-friendly because it is PFAS-free. The company has verified that its film helps improve capacity utilization rates in semiconductor manufacturing. Thus, it established a mass production system for the film, which it now offers commercially.

Toray will keep researching and developing innovative materials and technologies to help materialize a smart social infrastructure in keeping with its corporate philosophy of contributing sustainably to society by creating new value.

Glossary

¹ PFAS is the acronym for a generic term for artificial organic fluorine compounds (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds and their salts). PFAS resist degradation. Europe is looking to regulate them to control environmental releases.

² NANOALLOY™ technology is a Toray-developed microstructure control technology that minutely disperses multiple polymers on a nanometric scale to dramatically improve material properties.

(NANOALLOY™ is a registered trademark of Toray Industries, Inc.)

-24 May 2024-