Fluoropolymers, the Crucial Link in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Fluoropolymers help drive the connectivity of millions of people through mobile devices. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, and true 5G infrastructure - all of these products are powered by circuit boards, semiconductors, and wires, as are the data centers that relay information that enables emergency personnel, medical treatment, in-flight data, commerce and banking transactions, and myriad other pieces of information critical to the functioning of modern society.

Fluoropolymers allow semiconductor manufacturers to maximize chip yields, minimize downtime, improve processes, and maintain micro-design consistency. During chip fabrication, the superior chemical resistance of fluoropolymers decreases the likelihood of highly corrosive chemicals contaminating the ultra-clean environment. Chemours’ fluoropolymers specifically, help prevent contamination by serving as the primary material used for the pipe, tubes, valves, pumps, vessels, and tank linings for critical pieces of the fabrication equipment.

Fluoropolymers are a critical and irreplaceable material for semiconductor production.

Fluoropolymers’ unique combination of properties can handle high-purity chemicals and operate at very high temperatures, allowing semiconductors to perform better and faster, with greater energy efficiency and lower defectivity—which helps semiconductor manufacturers perform better, too.

As the United States and Europe seek to secure their semiconductor supplies, protecting access to materials like fluoropolymers that are required to manufacture semiconductors is critical. The alternative would be to rely on foreign substitutes where possible, creating significant supply chain vulnerabilities. Just as “no semiconductors” has meant “no cars,” so “no fluoropolymers” would mean “no semiconductors."

What are fluoropolymers?

Fluoropolymers are a specialty plastic that possess a unique combination of properties that make them critical to modern life and a wide variety of sectors and industries. They are one specific class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of thousands of chemical compounds with varying characteristics, properties, and environmental and safety profiles. Importantly, fluoropolymers do not pose a significant risk to human health or the environment when used for their intended purposes. Their unique combination of properties makes them fundamental to the products they enable. There are no alternatives that possess all of these unique properties while delivering the same high level of performance.