Dear Cathy Flowers ,

Silicon contamination remains a real issue in semiconductor microelectronics manufacturing because it can cause serious problems in the performance and reliability of devices. Silicone can be introduced into the manufacturing process through a variety of sources, including processing equipment, air, and even human skin. Once inside a device, it can cause defects such as increased leakage currents, decreased breakdown voltages, and reduced reliability.

Moreover, silicone is a highly persistent material and can be difficult to remove, making it a persistent problem in microelectronics manufacturing. Additionally, as semiconductor technology continues to advance and feature sizes continue to shrink, the tolerance for contaminants such as silicone becomes even lower, making the issue even more critical.

• Hello, Cathy, we may suppose the contamination case in a device, as you've not specified it. When the contamination is inside an electronic device, it can cause defects such as increased leakage currents, decreased breakdown voltages, and reduced reliability. Silicon contamination also causes problems in some devices when exposed to ultraviolet and blue light, which can decompose the silicon materials and cause the deposition of silica-like particulate materials on optical elements. It may have catastrophic consequences.