Electronic grade silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) is in strong demand in the semiconductor field, and there is huge room for domestic substitution in the Chinese market

Silicon tetrachloride, also known as tetrachlorosilane, is an ultrafine anhydrous silica with excellent properties and is widely used in many fields such as semiconductors, military industry, and medicine. Electronic grade silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) is a subdivided product of silicon tetrachloride, which refers to silicon tetrachloride used in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. It has the characteristics of high purity and high boiling point, and is widely used in semiconductor thin film deposition and etching processes. .

The main raw material of electronic grade silicon tetrachloride is high purity silicon tetrachloride. High-purity silicon tetrachloride is in high demand in optical fiber fields such as optical fiber preforms and artificial quartz. In 2022, my country’s high-purity silicon tetrachloride production will reach 45,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%. Although my country’s high-purity tetrachloride production is on the rise, it still cannot meet the needs of downstream applications, which poses challenges to the development of the electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride industry.

Electronic grade silicon tetrachloride, electronic grade trichlorosilane and electronic grade dichlorosilane are representative products of silane gas. Compared with other silane gases, the electronic grade silicon tetrachloride industry has higher technical barriers. my country’s demand basically depends on imports, and the United States, Japan, Germany and South Korea are my country’s main importing countries. In recent years, Chinese companies have continuously increased their investment in research and development of electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride and have obtained a number of invention patents. In the future, with in-depth research and technological advancement, the localization process of my country’s electronic grade silicon tetrachloride market is expected to accelerate.

According to the “2023-2028 China Electronic Grade Silicon Tetrachloride (SiCl4) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report》 shows that electronic grade silicon tetrachloride is a high-end semiconductor electronic chemical and is widely used in the manufacturing process of memory chips, logic chips, and silicon epitaxial wafers. Benefiting from the country’s great emphasis on the development of the semiconductor industry, my country’s chip technology continues to advance. In 2022, my country’s memory chip self-sufficiency rate will reach nearly 20%, setting a record high. Electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride can be used in semiconductor thin film deposition and etching processes. As the development of downstream industries accelerates, my country’s electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride market space will further expand.

The main manufacturers of electronic grade silicon tetrachloride in my country include Levima Xinke, Sanfu Co., Ltd., Heyuan Gas, etc. Sanfu Co., Ltd. is a representative enterprise of electronic grade silicon tetrachloride in my country. It focuses on the R&D, production and sales of silicon series and potassium series products, and has stable production capabilities of electronic grade trichlorosilane and electronic grade dichlorosilane. Currently, Sanfu has obtained a number of silane gas-related invention patents, and its annual 500-ton electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride project will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Industry analysts said that as an electronic chemical for high-end semiconductors, electronic grade silicon tetrachloride has excellent performance and good industry development prospects. . However, currently, due to factors such as high technical barriers and insufficient supply of raw materials, my country’s electronic-grade silicon tetrachloride production capacity is low, and demand is highly dependent on imports. In the future, with the growth of market demand and the continued efforts of local enterprises, the development speed of my country’s electronic grade silicon tetrachloride industry is expected to accelerate.