Global semiconductor industry environmental regulations are tightening continuously in 2026, and restrictions on PFAS‑class substances are gradually covering consumable materials used inside wafer fabs, including CMP polishing pads. Traditional high‑end CMP pads partly adopt fluorine‑modified components to enhance chemical‑slurry resistance and surface wetting performance. Facing the regulatory trend, developers of GaN‑dedicated CMP pads have to redesign polyurethane formulas without sacrificing polishing performance for hard GaN substrates.
GaN CMP processes frequently adopt polishing slurry with complex pH environment and nano‑sized abrasive particles. Without fluorine‑modified additives, polyurethane pad materials face higher risks of chemical erosion, pore blockage and surface aging during operation. Material engineers need to adjust polyol‑isocyanate matching ratio, optimize cross‑link density, and improve anti‑hydrolysis and anti‑swelling capacity of polyurethane matrix itself, to replace part of functions originally realized by fluorine‑containing ingredients.
Industry feedback indicates that many pad suppliers are still in sample‑testing phase for PFAS‑free GaN CMP products. Current main challenges lie in balancing three key indicators: material removal rate, defect‑control capability and service life. Some early‑trial fluorine‑free pads show decent surface quality in short‑time lab tests, yet wear speed accelerates obviously under continuous fab operating conditions, raising overall consumable cost per wafer.
Based on our polyurethane R&D platform, we have developed modified polyurethane material grades oriented toward PFAS‑free GaN CMP pad manufacturing. Through adjusting polymer backbone structure, we enhance chemical stability without fluorine additives. Downstream partners can further match pore‑forming process according to their own pad design. We will keep cooperating with consumable developers to complete joint verification, and push forward the industrial application of environment‑friendly polyurethane solutions for next‑generation GaN wafer planarization.