| HS Code | 390124 |
| Product Name | Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade |
| Chemical Form | Liquid |
| Appearance | Clear, colorless liquid |
| Odor | Mild, ester-like odor |
| Purity Grade | Electronic/EL semiconductor grade; very low ionic impurities |
| Typical Boiling Point Degc | 142–146 |
| Melting Point Degc | Below -20 |
| Flash Point Degc | 44–48 (closed cup) |
| Vapor Pressure Mmhg At 20c | 2.5–4.5 |
| Evaporation Rate Relative Nbuac | 0.3–0.5 |
| Density G Per Ml At 20c | 0.95–0.98 |
| Refractive Index At 20c | 1.39–1.40 |
| Solubility In Water | Limited / partially miscible |
| Viscosity Cp At 25c | 1.1–1.4 |
| Auto Ignition Temperature Degc | Approximately 427 |
As an accredited Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Packaged in clean, sealed 1-gallon and 5-gallon containers, Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade ensures purity and reliable performance. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loaded with Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade, packed in sealed drums on pallets, securely braced and vented. |
| Shipping | Shipping: This Electronic/EL Grade Developer Thinner is a flammable liquid, requiring ground or regulated transport only. It must be packed in UN-approved containers, sealed against leakage, and labeled with proper hazard placards. No air, rail, or international shipping without special permits. Ensure compliance with all applicable dangerous goods regulations. |
| Storage | Store Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade in a tightly sealed, clearly labeled original container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, sparks, and open flames. Keep away from incompatible materials such as strong oxidizers. Protect from moisture, dust, and static discharge to maintain electronic-grade purity. Follow all local safety and handling regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically two years from manufacture date when stored unopened, tightly sealed, and under recommended ambient conditions. |
Inline dosing of EL-grade developer thinner into 2.38 wt% TMAH positive-tone developer is performed to reduce solution surface tension to below 35 mN/m without shifting free alkalinity by more than 0.02 wt%. The thinner is metered into the developer recirculation loop at 0.05 vol% to 0.20 vol% of ready-to-use developer, with the upper boundary reserved for contact-hole arrays at pitches below 50 nm and aspect ratios above 4:1. Dosing above 0.25 vol% is not recommended because it suppresses interfacial wetting reversal during the rinse step and can increase critical dimension scatter by more than 1 nm across a 300 mm wafer. The material is delivered through PTFE/PFA chemical delivery lines into a single-wafer spray developer or puddle tool; inline conductivity and refractive index sensors maintain the dilution set point at 23.0 °C ± 0.3 °C. Industry compliance is demonstrated through REACH Regulation EC 1907/2006 Article 33 declarations and RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU with IEC 63000:2018 technical documentation. The downstream terminal products are CMOS logic and memory wafers, including FinFET and gate-all-around transistor layers.
In Gen 8.5 and Gen 10.5 flat panel display fabs, the developer thinner is blended into the aqueous KOH/TMAH developer bath during color filter and black matrix photolithography to compensate for evaporation loss and to keep the wetting angle on indium tin oxide below 6°. The thinner is not used as a bulk diluent; it is added as a wetting and viscosity modifier at a draw-down ratio of 2.0 L per 100 L of developer, equivalent to 2.0 vol%, adjusted in 0.1 vol% increments based on scatter from the developer analyzer. In the production process, RGB photoresist is coated by slit nozzle, exposed through photomasks, and developed in a conveyorized linear developer with a residence time of 55–70 s; the thinner component reduces developer drag-out and lowers defect density from edge-bead re-deposition. Compliance for this display segment references RoHS 2011/65/EU Annex III exemptions and controls the EL grade for metal cations below 50 ppb to prevent dielectric breakdown in thin-film transistor structures. The terminal product types include LCD and OLED color filter arrays and TFT backplanes for Gen 8.5 and Gen 10.5 panels.
Dry film photoresist on copper-clad laminate responds to developer thinner additions as a saponification-rate modifier, not as a bulk diluent. The thinner is introduced into the sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate developer bath at 1.0 wt% to 3.0 wt% of the make-up concentrate, and the addition ratio is established by titration of total alkalinity against a target of 0.85–1.10 wt% Na₂CO₃. The rate is reduced to the lower bound when processing 25 μm line/space high-density interconnect boards to prevent undercut. Standard compliance for the PCB segment references IPC-A-600H for printed board acceptability and IEC 63000:2018 for RoHS documentation, with the EL-grade thinner lot tested for chloride and sulfate anions below 5 ppm each to avoid ionic contamination that would raise surface insulation resistance failure rates in the finished board. The downstream process is conveyorized spray developing at 30–35 °C and 1.2–1.8 kg/cm² spray pressure, followed by water rinse and hot-air drying before the acid etch line. Terminal product types are HDI multilayer printed circuit boards, IC substrates, and flexible printed circuits.
Advanced packaging redistribution layer lithography on 300 mm wafer-level packaging lines uses the developer thinner at 1.0–1.5 vol% of the ready-to-use developer for imide-based and epoxy-based photoresists, with the upper range specified only for high-resolution direct patterning of 2/2 μm line/space RDL because higher thinner loadings reduce contrast and broaden resist edge roughness. The thinning agent is blended in a nitrogen-blanketed closed mixer to prevent oxygen uptake that can increase the developer's corrosive effect on exposed copper seed layers. In the production sequence, the resist is spin-coated, baked, exposed with broadband or i-line steppers, sprayed or puddle-developed for 45–75 s, rinsed with DI water, and cured before electroplating Cu interconnects. Compliance is assessed under REACH EC 1907/2006 Annex XVII restrictions and semiconductor packaging metal ion requirements, with ICP-MS verification that total trace metal content remains below 100 ppb. The terminal product types are fan-out wafer-level packages, 2.5D interposers, and 3D stacked packages where RDL linewidth uniformity is a yield limit.
Chrome-on-quartz mask blanks require developer thinning that does not leave a residue at the resist–chrome interface, because post-development chrome etch requires a clean resist boundary at the mask edge. The EL-grade thinner is combined with the photoresist developer at a ratio of 1:1 to 1:2 by volume for concentrated edge-bead removal and at 0.2 vol% in the main developer bath to adjust viscosity for spray bar uniformity. Development is performed on a spin/develop tool with programmable spray nozzles at 21.0 °C ± 0.5 °C, followed by deionized water rinse and nitrogen blow-off before chrome etching in ceric ammonium nitrate solution. Compliance for photomask processing requires ISO 14644-1:2015 Class 2 cleanroom handling and evidence of trace metal control at 10 ppb by ICP-MS. Terminal product types are binary chrome masks, attenuated phase-shift masks, and photomask blanks used in DUV lithography.
In MEMS sacrificial release and SU-8 thick resist processing, the developer thinner is mixed with the concentrated developer at volumetric ratios between 2:1 and 5:1 developer-to-thinner for photoresist thinning for spin coating, and at 1:2 to 1:4 by volume for controlled etch-back of exposed crosslinked resist. The exact ratio is determined by the crosslink density target for the sacrificial layer. The process uses puddle development on a wafer spinner with a lid-closed solvent atmosphere to prevent viscosity drift from moisture ingress and to maintain development rate at 10–25 μm/min for 100 μm thick SU-8 features. Compliance is documented under REACH EC 1907/2006 and ISO 14644-1:2015 Class 3 packaging, with lot retention samples tested for water content by ASTM D6304-16e1 at ≤0.05 wt% to avoid altering development kinetics. Published data for the exact thinner blend ratio in acoustic filter sacrificial release is limited; the cited range reflects SU-8 process windows rather than product-specific certification. Terminal product types include inertial sensors, microfluidic chips, acoustic filters, and inkjet printhead nozzles.
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Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade is a semiconductor-grade solvent thinning agent intended for use in photoresist developer preparation, developer nozzle rinsing, and coater/developer chemical delivery line purging. The material is filtered at the point of filling through a 0.05 µm membrane and is packaged in fluoropolymer-lined containers under ultrapure nitrogen. Receiving configurations include 1 L, 5 L, 20 L, and 200 L containers with solvent-resistant high-density polyethylene or fluoropolymer wetted surfaces. The product is supplied under the designation Developer Thinner Electronic/EL Grade; lot-specific model or part codes appear on the certificate of analysis. Typical use includes dilution of concentrated tetramethylammonium hydroxide developer to a working concentration of 2.38 wt%, rinsing of developer cup surfaces between wafer batches, and reduction of residue accumulation in dispense lines. Unlike technical-grade thinner, electronic/EL grade is released against low ionic impurity limits, with any single metal ion controlled below 1 µg/L and total trace metal burden below 5 µg/L by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Water content, organic carbon, and nonvolatile residue are also constrained because these parameters influence photoresist development uniformity, defect density, and tool uptime. The thinner is not formulated as a photoresist solvent; it is intended for developer equipment and developer bath adjustment, and its use should be verified against the developer supplier’s material compatibility documentation.
Substitution of a technical-grade solvent blend in semiconductor developer make-up is generally not acceptable when the process is qualified for production wafer processing. Technical-grade thinners may contain single metal impurities in the 100–500 µg/L range and anion residuals that can interact with photoresist polymer end groups or change developer wetting behaviour. Because dissolved ions are not removed by membrane filtration, a 0.1 µm point-of-use filter in a 300 mm track chemical delivery system will not upgrade a technical-grade solvent to electronic/EL performance. The electronic/EL designation is therefore a purification and release class, not a filtration statement. Release parameters for the thinner are tested at the packaging site using methods that include ICP-MS for trace metals, ion chromatography for chloride, Karl Fischer titration for water, and gravimetric analysis for nonvolatile residue.
| Property | Unit | Test method | Typical release target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance colour | Pt-Co | ASTM D1209 | ≤5 |
| Density at 20 °C | g/cm³ | ASTM D4052 | 0.90–0.95 |
| Distillation range | °C | ASTM D1078 | IBP ≥138; DP ≤205 |
| Water | wt% | ASTM D1364 | ≤0.10 |
| Total trace metals | µg/L | ICP-MS | ≤5 |
| Chloride | µg/L | Ion chromatography | ≤50 |
| Nonvolatile residue | ppm | ASTM D1353 | ≤5 |
| Particle count ≥ 0.2 µm | particles/mL | Optical particle counter calibrated to ISO 21501-2 | ≤50 |
The above values are screening targets common to electronic-grade solvent thinners and are not a substitute for the lot-specific certificate of analysis. Technical-grade products often do not report total metal burden or particle counts, and water content may be as high as 0.5 wt%. That level of water would shift the effective developer concentration and can alter the development rate of chemically amplified resists. For this reason, fabs that require developer normality stability generally prohibit technical-grade thinner in the developer make-up loop.
In production-scale 300 mm wafer track chemical delivery, the thinner is transferred from pressure canisters or bag-in-drum systems through 0.05 µm or 0.1 µm PTFE/PFA point-of-use filters. The material’s closed-cup flash point is typically 42–50 °C under ASTM D93, which requires the chemical cabinet to be exhausted and the dispensing system to be bonded to grounded stainless steel or conductive polymer lines. The dynamic viscosity at 25 °C is typically 1.0–1.5 cP under ASTM D7042, which permits dispense line purging at pressures of 0.10–0.30 MPa without excessive bubble formation in the developer cup. Higher-viscosity technical-grade thinners or hydrocarbon-rich formulations can leave a residual film on developer nozzle surfaces after purging; this film may require additional cleaning and can alter the local developer concentration at the start of the next dispense event.
The distillation range is controlled so that low-boiling fractions do not evaporate during idle periods and change viscosity at the nozzle. High-boiling residues are also limited because they can accumulate in the developer cup exhaust and produce a varnish-like film on polypropylene cup surfaces. Filter compatibility is defined by the wetted-surface specification: PTFE, PFA, and high-density polyethylene are acceptable, while unlined steel, copper, and nitrile elastomers are not recommended. A common field failure mode in high-volume fabs is humidity ingress through drum pumps with unblanketed vents, leading to water content drift above 0.10 wt% and a corresponding developer dilution error. Dry nitrogen blanketing at 0.01–0.02 MPa and desiccant breathers are used on opened containers to limit water uptake during extended dispensing campaigns.
In a 300 mm wafer track bottle station with nitrogen-pressurized canisters, the thinner is typically metered into a developer make-up tank by mass-flow or positive-displacement metering. Dilution of concentrated TMAH developer to 2.38 wt% must account for the density difference between the thinner and the concentrate; incorrect mass-to-volume conversion has caused batch-to-batch developer normality deviation of more than 0.02 wt% on production lines. A track configured with a Coriolis mass-flow meter can hold the final TMAH concentration within ±0.01 wt% only when the thinner’s density and water content remain stable within the qualified range. The product is also used for developer cup rim rinsing after wafer spin-off; no additional surfactant is required because the controlled solvent composition leaves a low-residue film. Final wafer rinsing is not performed with this thinner; ultrapure water meeting ASTM D5127-13 Type E-1 remains the final rinse medium.
Addition of the thinner to 2.38 wt% tetramethylammonium hydroxide at 23±2 °C changes the developer’s surface tension and its interaction with exposed photoresist surfaces. The thinner is formulated to suppress scum formation at the substrate edge and to reduce precipitate build-up in developer equipment. Surface tension of the diluted developer can be monitored by du Noüy ring under ASTM D1331; comparison of the thinner lot against the previously qualified lot is typically performed by the fab’s process control group. In high-contrast resist processes, small variations in water and residual ester content in the thinner shift the developer’s solvency toward partially blocked resist sidewall polymers. The magnitude of this shift is resist-specific and is not assignable without patterned-wafer qualification. Published data for this specific thinner-resist combination is limited; end users should compare the product against the resist supplier’s recommended developer dilution solvent using a qualification wafer lot.
Use of the thinner with negative-tone development or metal-containing resists requires particular attention because residual metal ions can act as photoactive or redox-sensitive contaminants. The low-metal release specification is designed to reduce this risk, but it does not eliminate the need for process-specific defect monitoring. For immature resists or experimental formulations, a blanket solvent qualification should include dissolution-rate monitoring, post-develop residue inspection, and defect inspection by broadband plasma or laser scanning tools.
Because the material is combustible and is received under cleanroom classification, waste handling should separate solvent waste from aqueous alkaline developer waste. The thinner is typically compatible with high-density polyethylene and fluoropolymer waste containers, but not with unlined carbon steel or copper fittings. Lot traceability is maintained through barcode labelling and includes the release values for water content, total metals, and particle count. The recommended shelf life is 12 months from date of packaging when stored in unopened containers at 5–25 °C. In opened containers, dry nitrogen blanketing and a desiccant breather are recommended when the material is held longer than 72 h; otherwise water uptake in humid cleanroom ambient air can exceed the release target. The thinner is not registered as a sterilant or biocide and should not be used to disinfect wafer surfaces.
| Parameter | Technical grade | ACS grade | Electronic/EL grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single metal impurity | 100–500 µg/L | 10–100 µg/L | ≤1 µg/L |
| Total trace metals | Not routinely specified | Lot-limited | ≤5 µg/L |
| Water | ≤0.5 wt% | ≤0.2 wt% | ≤0.10 wt% |
| Particle filtration at fill | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed | 0.05 µm membrane |
| Primary application | Equipment wipe solvent | Laboratory reagent | Developer dilution and nozzle rinse |
Unlike general-purpose developer thinners, this product does not require post-dilution filtration at the point of use if the container remains sealed and the wetted path is maintained clean. Point-of-use filtration is still recommended to protect dispense valves from particle shedding from pump seals or tubing. Safety data sheet documentation identifies REACH and RoHS obligations; the material is not expected to contain intentionally added substances above the relevant concentration thresholds. Because local fire code classification depends on the closed-cup flash point and container volume, storage quantities should be verified against the applicable flammable-liquid code for the installation.
