Materials “Sweet-spot” - ALD/CVD Precursor Supply Chain
Mo may replace HVM applications, which could reduce future WF6 supply strains
San Diego, CA, July 26, 2023: TECHCET — the electronic materials advisory firm providing business and technology information on semiconductor supply chains — has announced that Semiconductor Precursor revenues are continuing to see high growth, with 5-year CAGR’s of 7% for metal, 5% for high-k, and 8% for dielectrics. Growth is influenced by the increasing interest and need for new materials for ALD and CVD processes. Device producers continue to look for new manufacturing solutions designed to improve cost and performance, and ALD/CVD solutions are at the forefront of such efforts.
Tungsten (from WF6 precursor) usage is highly driven by vertical scaling of 3DNAND and increased wafer start numbers in all segments. WF6 supply/demand is expected to stay in balance through 2023. However, TECHCET is anticipating supply of WF6 to become constrained by 2025 with threat of shortage in 2026 (as shown below). Possible shortages could be mitigated if molybdenum (Mo) solid precursors start replacing WF6 and transition from R&D to HVM. Implementation of Mo is still uncertain as fabs will need to see cost and performance equal to, or better than WF6, as indicated in TECHCET’s new ALD/CVD Precursors Critical Materials Report™.
.Other critical areas of technology change for improved devices include new materials for transistors such as high-κ gate dielectrics, metal gate electrodes, strain/stress epi of the channel and channel materials, memory cells and high-κ capacitors, interconnect wiring, barriers, seed layers, capping, insulators, and photolithography (with associated patterning techniques). Emerging challenges are driven by continued dimensional scaling addressed with materials (e.g., Hf, Zr, La, Co, Ru, Mo), and processes (e.g., ALD and plasma-assisted methods. For more details on ALD/CVD Precursor market trends, supply-chain issues, and supplier profiles on Adeka, Air Liquide, Entegris, EMD Electronics, Matheson Gases, Linde, Nanmat, Yoke, SK Materials, and more, go to: https://techcet.com/product-category/ald-cvd-precursors/.
To discuss materials including ALD/CVD Precursors, talk to us at the ALD 2023 Conference in Bellevue, Washington on July 23-26. Karey Holland, Chief Strategist at TECHCET, will be there to talk materials. Please email us if you are interested in setting up a time to meet.
New reports are out now for ALD/CVD Precursors, Gases, CMP Consumables and Ancillaries, Photoresist, Silicon Wafers, Wet Chemicals, and Quartz Equipment Components. To learn more, go to: https://techcet.com/product-category/critical-materials-reports/.
ABOUT TECHCET: TECHCET CA LLC is an advisory services firm expert in market and supply-chain analysis of electronic materials for the semiconductor, display, solar/PV, and LED industries. TECHCET offers consulting, subscription service, and reports, including the Critical Materials Council (CMC) of semiconductor fabricators and Data Subscription Service (DSS). For additional information, please contact cmcinfo@techcet.com, +1-480-332-8336, or go to www.techcet.com.