Technology to etch Kai semiconductor with fluoroplastic instead of CFC gas

Technology to etch Kai semiconductor with fluoroplastic instead of CFC gas

The established technology will be used for dry etching, thin film formation and cleaning of silicon. Easy-to-handle gases such as argon and nitrogen are irradiated onto solid fluoropolymers to generate fluorine-containing gas. The gas is then used for plasma treatment. Using a proto device with electrodes developed for special equipment, the company irradiated nitrogen gas and etched a glass substrate, and was able to etch 40 nanometers in one minute. The company plans to achieve an etching speed of 200 nanometers for commercialization. Plasma is an unstable state in which electrons have been removed from molecules, and it modifies the surface of materials, improving adhesion and cleaning effects. (Photo taken on March 30, 2020, location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)

Republic Leather's plating replacement film

Republic Leather's plating replacement film

Kyowa Leather has developed a plating-free high-intensity film that can be used to decorate aluminum wheels and other automotive exterior parts without plating. The company is working with exterior parts manufacturers to improve the film, aiming to commercialize it in December 2020. The film has a four-layer structure, consisting of a transparent surface layer made of fluoroplastic, a metal layer made of the same metal material with excellent weatherability and acid resistance vapor-deposited in a "sea-island structure," a base layer made of vinyl chloride or acrylic resin, and an adhesive layer. Currently, Ryuta Kawashima, director of the company, says that "it is difficult to build new factories for plating due to environmental concerns such as soil contamination. In the future, the company aims to add value to automobile exterior parts by considering the development of integrated molding technology for wheels and films. Photo taken on June 24, 2019,credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images