Industry analysts are predicting a massive spike in global demand for plasma display panel (PDP) televisions. As a result, production on Samsung's PDP lines has shifted into overdrive, with an extra 5.3 million units being turned out this year - an increase of 70 per cent from 2007.
For the South Korean giant Samsung SDI, one of the key components in the company's PDP manufacturing operations has been an O-Ring in Isolast material, supplied by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. The perfluoroelastomer sealing compound withstands very high thermal stresses with temperatures of up to 325°C.
Typically used in process applications in the chemical, hydrocarbon, pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries, Isolast sealing products are also employed by various equipment manufacturers and end users in many other industrial sectors.
For the semiconductor industry, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions supplies a range of materials specially engineered for the sector's needs, the Fab Range.
These specialist compounds are formulated specifically for wet, wafer, diffusion and rapid thermal process environments as well as plasma and chemical vapor deposition. They have high temperature capabilities, exhibit low levels of extractable total organic carbon (TOC), demonstrate minimal particle generation and extremely low outgassing.
Samsung uses the O-Ring in the manufacture of its PDP panels. The seal is inserted into a plasma gun - a tool used in the standard production of flat panel screens - and places a vacuum seal on the unit.
According to Samsung, the O-Ring is considered a value added product, superior in quality and durability when compared to competitive sealing products initially chosen by the company.
The Isolast O-Ring combines high performance and quality, giving superior reliability, longer service life, greater safety, reduced wastage and a minimized risk of failure. It was first used in 2007 by Samsung in the company's newest factory in Yangsan, South Korea."
With flat-screen success as the foundation of Samsung and Trelleborg's relationship in South Korea, Song says the future looks bright in terms of opportunities for both companies.
Isolast is the proprietary range of perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) materials from Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. Isolast Fab Range has been specifically engineered to meet the sealing requirements of semiconductor equipment. This includes: Isolast Fab Range J9610 provides optimum performance in wet processing environments, including wet etch, wet stripping, wet cleaning, plating, chemical mechanical planarisation (CMP) and ultra pure de-ionised water applications.
Inherent capabilities enable the compound to cope with continuous operating temperatures up to 235°C/455°F, whilst exhibiting low levels of extractable total organic carbon (TOC).
Isolast Fab Range J9630 is a white compound developed for all plasma and thermal processes. Exhibiting robust long-term resistance and low weight loss, it has excellent resistance to all plasma and dry process gases in continuous service temperatures to 260°C/500°F.
Isolast Fab Range J9650 is a high temperature compound developed for high temperature wafer-processing applications, including rapid thermal processing, chemical vapour deposition (CVD), diffusion processing, dry plasma etching, dry ashing, metallisation and annealing. It provides effective sealing operation up to temperatures of 320°C/608°F.
Isolast Fab Range J9670 operates at temperatures up to 315°C/599°F and is specifically formulated for high temperature plasma applications in wafer processing. In addition, it offers superior resistance to aggressive, high temperature plasma erosion, minimal particle generation and extremely low outgassing.
Isolast Fab Range J9675 offers excellent chemical resistance and minimal particulation across a wide range of semiconductor wafer processes. In particular, it gives enhanced performance in fluorine and oxygen based plasma environments, while its curing and filler system ensures superior long-term properties in operating temperatures up to 300°C/572°F.
Isolast Fab Range J9680 is a translucent material developed to achieve the ultimate low particle generation in plasma process environments.
For more information, visit www.tss.trelleborg.com