Semiconductor/Microelectronics Cleaning

Report Highlights

• The global market for microelectronics cleaning equipment, consumables and services was worth about $3.8 billion in 2005. This figure is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2006 and $6.9 billion by 2011, at an AAGR of 10.4% between 2006 and 2011.
• The chemicals, gases and other consumables market is estimated at $3.0 billion in 2011, with average annual growth estimated at 9.8%.
• Wet process cleaning technologies accounted for about 91% of the total microelectronics cleaning market in 2005, a percentage that is expected to decline slightly to 89% in 2011. Emerging cleaning technologies (including supercritical carbon dioxide and other technologies) are expected to increase their market share from 0.1% in 2005 to nearly 3% in 2011, while dry cleaning technologies' share decreases from 9% to 8%.

INTRODUCTION

Electronics cleaning refers to the processes or steps used to ensure that a semiconductor or other microelectronic device remains free from contaminants or other foreign materials that could have an adverse impact on its proper functioning and performance. New requirements are being placed on electronics cleaning technologies and products.

This is because as device geometries continue to shrink and die sizes grow, microcontaminants such as particles, metallic impurities and trace organic contaminants will have an ever-increasing detrimental impact on device yield and reliability.

Various other factors contribute to the current dynamism of the electronics cleaning market. Process trends such as the move to single-wafer processing pose new challenges for cleaning technology. Economic and environmental concerns also are causing users of electronics cleaning products to look for ways to reduce their chemicals consumption and substitute more environmentally benign chemicals for the harsh chemistries used in traditional "wet" process cleaning.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This report contains:

• Global trends in the market for electronics cleaning products by technology, product type, application, and geographical region from 2005 to 2011

• Major applications in which electronics cleaning products are used (e.g., semiconductors, LCD display fabrication)

• Key patents and patent analysis

• Market drivers

• Electronics cleaning product manufacturers' market shares.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

The findings and conclusions of this report are based on information gathered from industry sources, including manufacturers and users of electronics cleaning equipment and chemicals. Interview data were combined with information gathered from an extensive review of secondary sources such as trade publications, trade associations, company literature and online databases to produce the market projections contained in this report.

The base-year for analysis and projection is 2005. With this as a baseline, market projections were developed for the 2006 to 2011 period. They are based on a consensus of the primary contacts combined with BCC Research's understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from a historical and analytical perspective. The analytical methodologies used to generate these market estimates are described in the section entitled Detailed Market Projections.

All dollar projections presented in this report are in 2005 constant dollars, unless otherwise noted.

ANALYST CREDENTIALS

Andrew McWilliams, the author of this report, is a partner in the Boston-based international technology and marketing consulting firm, 43rd Parallel LLC. He also is the author of several BCC Research reports on related subjects, such as

• C-248 Global Markets for Lithographic Chemicals
• GB-265 Semiconductor Microlithography: Materials and Markets
• C-152N Ultrapure Materials for the Semiconductor Industry (coauthor)