한국재료연구원(KIMS, 원장 최철진) 나노재료연구본부 마호진 박사 연구팀이 부산대학교 이정우 교수 연구팀과 공동연구를 통해 반도체 제조 공정 중 식각장비 내부 부품의 수명을 늘리고 오염 입자를 줄이는 투명한 내플라즈마성 고엔트로피 세라믹 신(新)조성과 공정 기술을 세계 최초로 개발하는 데 성공하며, 반도체 식각 공정시 플라즈마로 인한 부식과 오염 문제를 해결할 것으로 기대가 모아진다.

▲(From left) Shin Yu-bin, a master's degree student researcher, Ma Ho-jin, and other members of the Materials Research Team
World's first development of transparent plasma-resistant high-entropy ceramics
The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS, President Choi Chul-jin) has developed the world's first transparent plasma-resistant high-entropy ceramic, and expectations are high that this will solve the problems of corrosion and contamination caused by plasma during semiconductor etching processes.
The Korea Materials Research Institute announced on the 15th that the research team led by Dr. Ma Ho-jin of the Nanomaterials Research Division, in collaboration with the research team led by Professor Lee Jeong-woo of Pusan National University, succeeded in developing a new composition and process technology for transparent, plasma-resistant, high-entropy ceramics that extend the life of internal components of etching equipment during the semiconductor manufacturing process and reduce contaminant particles for the first time in the world.
Ceramics account for more than 90% of the materials inside semiconductor etching equipment. One of the reasons is that they have higher plasma resistance (ability to withstand plasma) than other materials. Just as a ship rusts when it hits seawater, the plasma used in the etching process continuously reacts with the internal parts of the equipment, causing corrosion and contamination. Therefore, ceramics are used as a material to reduce such problems.
On the other hand, as the etching process is performed in increasingly harsh environments due to the high integration of semiconductors, the frequency of replacement of commonly used ceramic components is increasing, which is hindering semiconductor productivity.
The research team designed a new high-entropy ceramic composition that overcomes the limitations of the existing mainly used ceramic materials, such as yttria (Y2O3), alumina (Al2O3), and YAG, and developed a transparent ceramic with a density of 99.9% through a sintering process technology for a dense solid body (a material in a high-density solid state).
Such dense bodies are used in etching process equipment that requires plasma resistance.
Additionally, the research team confirmed the change in the crystal structure of the elements that make up the high-entropy ceramic and developed a transparent ceramic that can transmit visible light and infrared rays using a technology that controls pores.
High-entropy ceramics, unlike general materials, are ceramics that form a single phase (uniform structure) by mixing five or more elements without forming impurities. High-entropy ceramics are known to exhibit new properties, such as high heat resistance, excellent wear resistance, and low thermal conductivity, unlike existing materials, and are attracting attention as heat shielding materials, catalysts, and energy storage materials.
On the other hand, research on plasma resistance had not been conducted until now, so our research team paid attention to this and conducted research, successfully conducting research and development for the first time in the world.
In semiconductor processing, materials with low etch rates mean fewer contaminants and greater durability.
The high-entropy transparent ceramic developed by the research team showed a low etching rate of 1.13% compared to sapphire.
In addition, compared to yttria (Y2O3), which is known to have excellent plasma resistance, the etching rate was only 8.25%, demonstrating excellent durability.
Senior Researcher Ma Ho-jin of the Materials Research Institute said, “In the plasma etching process of the semiconductor process, more than 90% of materials, parts, and equipment from the United States and Japan are controlled, so the domestic industry is seriously dependent on foreign products.” He continued, “This research result is a representative case of developing a high-entropy ceramic that has never been studied before, and developing the world’s best plasma-resistant material with domestic technology. It is also expected to become the cornerstone for achieving domestic production of parts through material independence.”
This research was conducted with the support of the Korea Institute of Materials Science's own project. The research results were published online on January 13 in the Journal of Advanced Ceramics (IF: 18.6), a globally influential academic journal in the field of ceramic materials.