LANG
Recently, a European delegation from the Fluoro Materials Application Technology Branch of the Wenzhou Chemical and Materials Society, led by Naiflon Group, traveled to Belgium, Germany, and Italy for industry docking and technical exchanges. The trip, with the core goal of "breaking through bottlenecks in the core fluorine materials for ultrapure electronic-grade (UHP) fluorine-lined valves, fittings, and equipment," sought key breakthroughs for ultrapure electronic-grade fluorine-lined components in high-end semiconductor applications through in-depth connections with renowned European companies and industrial parks.
Addressing the Core Pain Points of Components, Setting the European Material Benchmark
The delegation focused on two major Italian fluorine material giants: Fluorseals and ITAflon Group. As Italy's largest fluorine material product and processing company, Fluorseals' precision processing technology and end-to-end quality control system for semiconductor seals captured the delegation's attention. "Ultra-pure electronic-grade fluorine-lined valves, fittings, and other components used in semiconductor wet-process processes, where the flow medium is electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, require controlled metal cation release, anion content, and total organic carbon (TOC) content to comply with SEMI standards." The F57 standard requires an inner wall surface roughness of ≤0.6μm, an ultra-clean standard. This is considered the "lifeline" for fluorocarbon-lined component manufacturing. During a visit, Fang Xianle, Chairman of the Naiflon Group, stated frankly that while domestic fluorocarbon-lined products are mature in general industrial applications, the semiconductor industry's stringent requirements for material purity and the elimination of impurities during the manufacturing process have led to a long-term reliance on imports for high-end fluorocarbon-lined valves and fittings. This has hindered the company's entry into the core supply chain for ultrapure electronic-grade (UHP) fluorocarbon-lined valves and fittings, and has also hindered the domestic production of core high-end semiconductor equipment.
ITAflon Group's technological expertise in high-end materials such as modified PTFE and PFA is highly aligned with Naiflon's needs. Its ultrapure electronic-grade (UHP) fluorocarbon material, developed through injection molding, can achieve metal cation release levels of ≤0.01ppb, meeting the equipment requirements for 7nm and below processes. The two parties quickly reached a consensus during their discussions, clearly directing their technical cooperation to upgrade ultrapure electronic-grade (UHP) fluorocarbon-lined valves, fittings, and equipment.
Signed a cooperation intention to jointly build a localization channel for fluorine-lined ultra-pure electronic-grade components
During an inspection tour in Italy, Fibre and ITAflon, spearheaded by the Italian National Industrial Confederation, officially signed a letter of intent for strategic cooperation. The collaboration focuses on two key areas: research and development of semiconductor-grade PFA/modified PTFE materials and the integrated application of fluorine-lined components. "Fibre's comprehensive production experience in fluorine-lined valves, fittings, and equipment, as well as its domestic market access, provide the ideal environment for the implementation of our technology," said Mirko Zanga, Chairman of ITAflon Group. He noted that European material companies lack application verification capabilities for end-use components, while Fibre can provide a comprehensive testing environment, from material verification to the production of fluorine-lined valves and fittings. Fang Xianle added: "With the help of ITAflon's material technology, our fluorine-lined valves can achieve low metal ion precipitation and high surface cleanliness, and the pipe fittings can avoid medium retention and particle contamination. It is expected to increase the self-sufficiency rate of core fluorine-lined components for domestic semiconductors by 40%, breaking the price monopoly and supply barriers of imported products." The two parties plan to jointly build a joint laboratory to focus on solving the problem of precision molding process after material modification, ensuring that the technology is quickly transformed into qualified ultra-pure electronic grade (UHP) fluorine-lined products to serve the high-end semiconductor industry.
Benchmarking the European ecology, upgrading the fluorochemical industry foundation
In addition to connecting with businesses, the delegation also visited chemical parks in Antwerp, Belgium, and Dormagen, Germany, focusing on their collaborative innovation models and clean production standards for "materials-components-end equipment." The close collaboration between material companies and component manufacturers within these European parks provides a key learning opportunity for fluorocarbon to build an ultra-pure electronic-grade fluorocarbon-lined product industry chain. "Previously, we focused on component production, but this time we realized that breakthroughs in electronic-grade fluorocarbon-lined products require simultaneous upgrades in material research and development, precision machining, and cleanroom testing," said the delegation leader. Future upgrades to the Wenzhou Fluoromaterials Industrial Park will focus on fluorocarbon demand, introducing supporting companies specializing in material purity testing and surface roughness calibration, ultimately creating a complete industrial ecosystem for fluorocarbon-lined valves, fittings, and equipment.
During this European trip, Naiflon, through a "materials and technology partnership," broke through a core bottleneck in semiconductor fluorine-lined components. As the partnership matures, its fluorine-lined products will leapfrog from "industrial grade" to "ultra-pure electronic grade," not only filling a gap in the domestic market but also providing key fluorine-lined component support for China's independent and controllable semiconductor equipment.
