King Polytechnic Engineering Adopts Victrex's VICOTE®

09 Jan 2008 • by Natalie Aster

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Victrex plc, a leading provider of high performance materials including VICTREX ® PEEK™ polymer, VICOTE® Coatings and APTIV™ Film, announced that its VICOTE® coating based on VICTREX PEEK polymer has been adopted by the optoelectronics and semiconductor equipment manufacturer, King Polytechnic Engineering Co. Ltd. (KPEC), on its medium- to large-sized SPIN/DIP equipment series for 2", 8", 12" and larger wafers and LCD panels. VICOTE 804 BLK successfully replaced the existing PTFE coating based on its chemical resistance, high temperature performance, and bonding strength. The VICOTE coating can help reduce the particle generation of spin coater during the developing, etching, and stripping processes, not only extending the equipment lifespan and reducing the need for maintenance, but also significantly enhancing the production efficiency and yield of wafers and LCD panels.

Photolithography is the most crucial and difficult step in the manufacturing process of semiconductors or LCDs. Only through SPIN/DIP can stripper, etching, and developing solution be completely fabricated on the wafer and the glass substrate. This is done in the most extreme environment involving highly acidic/basic chemicals and high temperature where the equipments' stability and uniformity can directly affect the yield of wafers and LCD panels.

"As for end users, VICOTE coating can help reduce the need for equipment maintenance and down-time, and thus enhance the production efficiency and yield of wafer and LCD panels. When placed in an extreme environment with highly acidic/basic chemicals and high temperature, the PTFE coating we previously used stripped off easily after the thermocycle of developing, etching, and stripping, resulting in frequent maintenance of the spin coating part," said Frank Huang, Plant Manager of KPEC Clean Room Division. "But ever since we switched to VICOTE coating, we have not received any maintenance requests. We currently use VICOTE 804 BLK on our medium- to large-sized SPIN/DIP equipment series for wafers and LCD panels that are 8" and larger."

"As the semiconductor industry advances to larger wafer size and higher precision, facing an environment with stronger chemicals and higher temperature, the introduction of advanced materials and processing techniques becomes a key to the industry's development," explained Gary Li, Country Manager of Victrex Taiwan. "Our VICOTE coating possesses exceptional abrasion resistance, bonding strength on substrate and chemical resistance, and thus can significantly lower the particle generation and withstand most chemical substances. Applying it on the key components of processing equipments can help extend the equipments' lifespan and reduce the need for maintenance. Different forms of VICOTE coatings (powder and liquid dispersion) can provide end users with a more flexible and economical application model. Our cooperation with KPEC further proves that Victrex's PEEK is the ideal choice of material for the global semiconductor industry."

VICOTE Coatings, powder and liquid dispersions, based on VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer offer exceptional scratch and wear resistance, high temperature performance, strength and durability. Eco-friendly VICOTE Coatings were developed to fill the performance gap found in many existing coating technologies today. Whether applied to industrial, automotive, food processing, semiconductor, electronics or pharmaceutical parts, VICOTE Coatings are a great choice for engineers looking to improve the wear performance and life of the coated part in their applications. VICOTE Coatings can be applied using electrostatic or conventional dispersion spray techniques.

About King Polytechnic Engineering Co., Ltd

Based on over 30 years of experience accumulated by affiliated companies in selling foreign process technologies and cutting-edge chemical engineering, petrochemical and food manufacturing equipments, plus years of expertise in installation, trial run and maintenance, King Polytechnic Engineering (KPEC) was established to build a foundation for self innovation, raise engineering standards and strengthen its technology services for all industries. Since founded, KPEC has recruited top Taiwanese engineering talents from all fields in addition to having many years of experience cooperating with European, American, and Japanese engineering consulting companies and manufacturers. The company has a strong technology services team with service areas covering engineering planning, design, purchasing, construction, test runs, engineering management, and plant turnkey engineering. For 18 years, KPEC has pursued the promotion of design standards and engineering quality, and has owned a rich talent team and a commitment to provide technology services to all industries, earning it praise and support from all areas of society. With the many different types of engineering experience accumulated in the past, KPEC has complete engineering standards and design procedures, allowing design to be economical, safe, efficient, and high quality. KPEC's specialty industries are chemicals, petrochemicals, and food, while it has expanded its scope to include fertilizers, environmental engineering, cogeneration, semiconductors (including clean rooms), electronics, biotechnology, automated storage and retrieval, and plant automation.

About Victrex

Victrex plc is an innovative leading manufacturer of high performance materials, including VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer, VICOTE® Coatings and APTIV™ film. These materials are used in a variety of markets and offer an exceptional combination of properties to help processors and end users reach new levels of cost savings, quality, and performance.