Metal-Organic Framework Materials: A New Generation of Nano-Adsorbents for advanced Electronic Materials Delivery and Abatement
Jose* Arno; Mitch Weston; Glenn Tom
(NuMat Technologies, Skokie, IL)
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of nano-porous materials with broad applicability in improving the safety, purity, and abatement of electronics materials. MOFs are comprised of organic ligands and metal units creating highly uniform crystalline structures. By changing the identity of the organic ligand and metal unit utilized in the MOF synthesis, the structure, surface area, pore size, and reactivity of the MOF can be modulated. ION-X is the first product using MOFs used to store and deliver dopant gases sub-atmospherically for ion implant applications. ION-X was evaluated and tested at key OEMs and customer sites demonstrating the safety and capacity improvements compared to other adsorbent systems. Due to their broad tunability, this new generation of adsorbent nano-materials provide an ideal platform to expand beyond the storage of ion implant dopant gases. Specifically, MOFs can offer the same safety advantages to deliver ultra-high purity gases at high flow rates for MOCVD, ALD, plasma deposition, and etch applications. In addition, MOF materials can be custom made with very passive surfaces to stabilize energetic and reactive materials. This can be accomplished through surface adsorption, molecular isolation, and pressure reduction. Finally, MOFs can be tailored to precisely separate or chemisorb specific gases for advanced abatement solutions. In this paper, we will describe the new class of adsorbents and discuss their EH&S advantages to deliver and abate electronic materials.