Development Status of Fluorine-Containing Electronic Chemicals

Fluorine-containing electronic chemicals generally refer to specialized fluorinated chemicals used in the electronics industry. They mainly include high-purity fluorinated wet chemicals, electronic specialty gases, electronic fluorinated liquids, new energy battery electrolytes, and fluorine-containing electronic coating materials, among others.

Fluorine-containing electronic specialty gases are primarily used in the fields of flat panel displays, photovoltaic new energy, and integrated circuits. Currently, fluorinated varieties make up approximately 30% of the global electronic specialty gas market. These gases are mainly used as cleaning agents, etchants, and can also be used as dopants and film-forming materials.

Electronic fluorinated liquids are primarily used as solvents, cleaning agents, and coolants in smart devices and semiconductor manufacturing processes. In recent years, with the expansion and increasing integration of electronic products, the electronic product cleaning industry has rapidly developed. In the early days, the electronic industry commonly used CFCs for cleaning, but they were banned due to their ozone-depleting effects. Replacement options such as trichloroethylene (TCE), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), and n-propyl bromide (nPB) still pose environmental pollution risks, making them transitional cleaning solvents. There is a pressing need for more environmentally friendly cleaning solutions. Electronic fluorinated liquids aim to develop low GWP (Global Warming Potential) and zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) solutions, including various combinations of chemicals such as hydrofluoroethers, hydrofluorocarbons, and their derivatives, for use in foaming agents, cleaning agents, coolants, and more.

Fluorine-containing coolants possess chemical stability, non-flammability, non-explosiveness, low dielectric constants, and are mainly used in the semiconductor, data center, chemical industry, aerospace, and other fields. Immersion cooling technology, which uses fluorinated liquids, is a popular method for cooling. In the current context of "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality," future "energy consumption" and "carbon emissions" will be the core competitiveness factors for large data centers. Immersion cooling technology can significantly reduce energy consumption and save space, aligning with the development trends of large data centers. Immersion cooling takes advantage of the high insulating properties of fluorinated liquids, completely immersing server heat-emitting components in these liquids and efficiently dissipating heat through direct contact and circulating flow, eliminating the need for fans and air conditioning for cooling. This technology can achieve energy savings of over 70%, reducing the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of data centers to 1.07, approaching the theoretical limit of 1.0, greatly improving energy efficiency.

Fluorine-containing electronic coating materials are mainly used for micron or nanometer coatings in electronic products, including anti-fingerprint coatings, anti-pollution coatings, and electronic moisture-resistant coatings. The components mainly consist of fluorosiloxanes, fluorinated acrylic esters, and fluorosilicone oils. Fluorinated anti-fingerprint coatings, mainly synthesized using perfluoropolyethers as raw materials, are the mainstream coatings for electronic screens. These materials have extensive applications in China's electronics industry and are indispensable for the development of high-end electronic devices.

With technological advancements and the rapid development of strategic emerging industries, the application scenarios for fluorine chemicals are continually expanding. In the coming years, the global demand for fluorinated materials is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.2%.