Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Akihiko Tembo; Idemitsu) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a manufacturing system for adamantane of an ArF photoresist material*1 at its Tokuyama plant on February 28, 2007.
The system includes the company's proprietary world's first environmentally friendly process using a new type of catalyst, which will ensure a stable supply of adamantane derivatives that are expected to grow in demand as an ArF photoresist material.
In recent years, the production of cutting-edge semiconductors using an ArF (Argon Fluoride) excimer laser exposure process*2 has begun. This process employs a high-performance photoresist (photosensitizing material) made from an adamantane derivative. In its joint efforts with customers during the early stages of ArF photoresist development, Idemitsu developed an adamantane derivative to meet customer needs (Trade name: ADAMANTATE™), and began offering this product in 1998. As a result, Idemitsu has an approximately 70 percent share (company's estimation) of the market for the adamantane derivative as an ArF photoresist material.
Idemitsu expects that its own ArF process will dominate the future manufacturing process for semiconductors, which may result in a large growth in the demand for the company's adamantane derivative.
At present, adamantane as the raw material for derivatives is manufactured only in China, using an aluminum chloride-based process, which generates a large quantity of waste catalysts. Since environmental standards have recently been tightened, however, the treatment of waste catalysts will require substantial investment, which may lead to an unstable supply of adamantane.
Idemitsu will establish an industrial process that uses its proprietary, environmentally friendly catalyst to manufacture adamantane, in order to provide a stable supply of the derivatives. With the demand for smaller semiconductors increasing, there is also a demand for a strengthened quality control system for adamantane derivatives, including adamantane as the raw material. Idemitsu will establish a total manufacturing system, from raw adamantane material to the finished product, to achieve a strengthened quality control system.
Using the adamantane derivative's characteristics such as thermal stability, transparency, and a low dielectric constant, Idemitsu has also been developing applications other than as a raw material of photoresist. Idemitsu also plans to bring other derivatives, such as fluorine- or epoxy-based derivatives to the market in the sectors of flat-panel displays and optical communications.
The system is outlined below.
*1 A ten carbon hydrocarbon compound with the same structural unit as that of diamond, which has a high transparency, thermal stability, a low dielectric constant, etc.
*2 Critical process used in semiconductor manufacturing to print circuit patterns (semiconductor
designs) on silicon wafers. In order to print the circuit patterns, a light beam from ArF excimer laser (wavelength: 193
nm) is irradiated onto a photoresist (photosensitive resin) thinly coated to the wafer surface, to project and develop circuit
patterns. Compared with the conventional KrF process (KrF excimer laser, Wavelength: 248 nm), the wavelength of the light
source is short, enabling the printing of finer circuits.
Our ArF semiconductor manufacturing process does not limit the linewidth to 90 or 65 nm. Technological innovations, such
as liquid immersion techniques, allow the development of applications using a linewidth of 45 nm, and market expansion is
expected on a mid- to long-term basis.
Outline of the manufacturing system for adamantane
| Production capacity | 3 million tons/year |
|---|---|
| Process | Idemitsu's proprietary zeolite catalytic method |
| Site | The Tokuyama Plant of Idemitsu (Shunan-shi, Yamaguchi prefecture; Plant Manager: Yuji Sugimoto) |
| Investment | 1.3 billion yen |
| Schedule | September of 2007: Completion of construction; January of 2008: Initiation of commercial operations |
Characteristics of our new manufacturing method
- Efficient use of an unused distillate from the plant to make the raw material.
- Zeolite catalyst: In contrast with the conventional catalytic method, waste material mixture of aluminum chloride and tar, which is difficult to treat, is not generated (which means an environmentally friendly method).
- Labor saving process by continuous production (conventionally batch production) with highly stable quality.
For inquiries regarding this press release, please contact
Mr. Kaku
PR Dept.
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-3213-3115
Mr. Uehara
Performance Chemicals Department
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
Tel: +81-3-3213-3623
