Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-23
2003-11-04
Harlan, Robert (Department: 1713)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
C525S326200, C525S326500, C427S489000, C427S490000, C427S491000, C427S535000, C427S569000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06642300
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a filler which is small in a change in weight in both of oxygen (O
2
) plasma treatment and CF
4
plasma treatment to be carried out without fail in production process of semi-conductors and can remarkably inhibit generation of foreign matters (micro-particles) in the plasma treatments, and also relates to a crosslinkable elastomer composition containing the filler and to various materials and various final products which are produced from the composition.
BACKGROUND ART
In production of semi-conductors and liquid crystals, various treatments are carried out by using various plasmas such as oxygen plasma and CF
4
plasma at the stages of CVD, dry etching, ashing, etc. of silicon wafer. In the treatment equipment employing those plasmas, elastomeric sealing members are used for sealing of various connecting parts and moving parts of the equipment. Those sealing members are required not only to have a sealing property but also as a result of microfabrication and the advent of a large-sized substrate wafer, to stand strict high density plasma treating conditions (10
12
to 10
13
/cm
3
) and not to contaminate semi-conductors which require very precise fabrication. To satisfy such requirements, a crosslinkable fluorine-containing elastomer and silicone elastomer are used as elastomeric materials for sealing members.
Since a sufficient mechanical strength cannot be obtained even if only an elastomer is crosslinked, an organic or inorganic filler is usually blended. However even a filler is required to have the above-mentioned properties (neither decomposing nor generating a foreign matter, etc.). It cannot be said that any fillers can be used. Examples of fillers which have been used or proposed are carbon black, silica (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2783576, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2858198), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder, titanium oxide powder, clay, talc, barium sulfate, and the like.
However some of those fillers (silica, titanium oxide, etc.) are stable in oxygen plasma treatment but are decomposed to cause a reduction in weight in CF
4
plasma treatment, and on the contrary, some of them (carbon black, PTFE powder) are stable in CF
4
plasma treatment but are decomposed to cause a reduction in weight in oxygen plasma treatment. If the filler is subject to a change in weight, particularly a reduction in weight by plasma irradiation, it is certain that a reduced portion becomes an unnecessary foreign matter and has any adverse effect on semi-conductors and liquid crystals. Thus the above-mentioned fillers have been proposed. However a state of a change in weight differs depending on kind of the filler and no fillers being stable in the both plasma treatments have been known.
An object of the present invention is to provide a filler which is stable and is very small in a reduction in weight in both of oxygen plasma treatment and CF
4
plasma treatment, and a crosslinkable elastomer composition, etc. comprising the filler and a crosslinkable elastomer.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Namely the present invention relates to the filler for crosslinkable elastomer, in which a change in weight of the filler after either of oxygen plasma irradiation and CF
4
plasma irradiation under the conditions of a flow rate of 200 sccm, a pressure of 280 mTorr, a RF output of 400 W and an irradiation time of 54 minutes is not more than 4 mg/cm
2
·hr, preferably not more than 1 mg/cm
2
·hr.
It is preferable that the filler has a thermally and chemically stable aromatic ring on a trunk chain, has heat resistance of not less than 150° C. and particularly comprises a synthetic high molecular compound having an amide bond on a trunk chain or a synthetic high molecular compound having an imide bond on a trunk chain.
A form of the filler of the present invention is not limited particularly. The filler can be used in various forms such as fiber, particle and flake.
Further the present invention relates to the crosslinkable elastomer composition comprising a crosslinkable elastomer and the above-mentioned filler.
It is preferable that the crosslinkable elastomer composition contains the above-mentioned filler in an amount of 1 to 150 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the crosslinkable elastomer and that the crosslinkable elastomer is a fluorine-containing elastomer or a silicone elastomer.
Also the crosslinkable elastomer composition can be used as a crosslinkable elastomer material for molding or a crosslinkable elastomer material for coating.
When the composition is used as the material for molding, it is preferable that the composition contains 1 to 150 parts by weight of the above-mentioned filler and 0.05 to 10 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent based on 100 parts by weight of the crosslinkable elastomer.
When the composition is used as the material for coating, it is preferable that the composition contains 1 to 150 parts by weight of the above-mentioned filler and 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent based on 100 parts by weight of the crosslinkable elastomer.
Further the present invention relates to the molded article obtained by crosslinking the crosslinkable elastomer material for molding, particularly to the sealing member for sealing of semi-conductor production equipment.
Also the present invention relates to the coated molded article obtained by applying the crosslinkable elastomer material for coating on a surface of an elastomer molded article and then crosslinking, particularly to the sealing member for sealing of semi-conductor production equipment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A change in weight of the filler for crosslinkable elastomer of the present invention after either of oxygen plasma irradiation and CF
4
plasma irradiation under the above-mentioned conditions is not more than 4 mg/cm
2
·hr.
The above-mentioned standard conditions for plasma irradiation are set in consideration of actual treating environment for production of semi-conductors. It is assumed that under those conditions the results reflect an actual situation in the production site of semi-conductors. A change in weight under those irradiation conditions is preferably not more than 1 mg/cm
2
·hr.
Examples of a substance corresponding to the filler of the present invention are, for instance, imide fillers having an imide structure such as polyimide, polyamideimide and polyetherimide; organic fillers prepared from engineering plastics having heat resistance of not less than 150° C. such as polyarylate, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone and polyoxy benzoate; and the like.
Among them, preferable are the imide fillers from the viewpoint of heat resistance, a low metal content and a small amount of outgas generation.
Such a filler is blended to the crosslinkable elastomer to give the crosslinkable elastomer composition. A fluorine-containing elastomer and silicone elastomer can be used as the crosslinkable elastomer, and from the viewpoint of heat resistance, the fluorine-containing elastomer is preferable.
The fluorine-containing elastomer which can be used suitably in the present invention is not limited particularly as far as it has been used for sealing members, particularly for sealing members for semi-conductor production equipment. Examples thereof are, for instance,
a copolymer rubber represented by the formula (I):
wherein m is 85 to 60, n is 15 to 40, a copolymer rubber represented by the formula (II):
wherein m is 95 to 50, n is 5 to 50, R
f
is a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a terpolymer rubber represented by the formula (III):
wherein 1 is 85 to 20, m is 0 to 40, n is 15 to 40, a terpolymer rubber represented by the formula (IV):
wherein 1 is 95 to 45, m is 0 to 10, n is 5 to 45, X, Y and Z are fluorine atom or hydrogen atom individually, R
f
is a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and a terpolymer rubber represented by the formula (V):
wherein 1 is 95 to 35, m is 0 to 30, n is 5 to 35, R
f
is a perfluoroalkyl group havin
Kawaguchi Seiji
Kishine Mitsuru
Noguchi Tsuyoshi
Yamato Takafumi
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Harlan Robert
LandOfFree
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