Semiconductors are made using a wide variety of chemical materials, each of which plays a crucial role in different steps of the manufacturing process. Some of the main chemical materials used in the semiconductor manufacturing process include:
Silicon: Silicon is the fundamental material in most semiconductor devices. It is usually refined from sand and used to create semiconductor-grade silicon crystals.
Epitaxy Chemicals: These are used to deposit a thin layer of single crystal material on a single crystal substrate. They include gases like silane, diborane, and phosphine.
Photolithography Chemicals: These are used in a process that involves projecting light onto a photosensitive material to create the miniature circuits on a silicon wafer. Key photolithography chemicals include photoresists, anti-reflective coatings, developers, and edge bead removers.
Etchants: These are used to remove layers from the silicon wafer. They can be liquid or gas-phase and include substances like hydrogen bromide, chlorine, and boron trichloride.
Cleaning Solutions: These are used to remove impurities from the silicon wafer. They include a variety of acids and solvents.
Dopants: These are impurities intentionally introduced to modify the properties of the silicon. Examples include boron, phosphorus, and arsenic.
Dielectric Materials: These are insulating materials used to separate conducting layers within the semiconductor device. They include silicon dioxide and various high-k materials.
Metals: Metals like aluminium, copper, and tungsten are used for the interconnections within the integrated circuit.
As for the leading exporters of these chemicals, it’s challenging to provide specific data for each chemical as it’s often not tracked at that granularity. However, generally speaking, countries with advanced chemical and material industries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, China, and South Korea are among the leading producers and exporters of many of the chemicals used in the semiconductor industry. In terms of raw silicon, the top producers are often those with plentiful access to quartz (from which silicon is derived), such as China, Russia, and Norway.
