Preparation of PS-MWNT and PETE-MWNT Antistatic Materials via In Situ Polymerization for IC Tray Applications

To develop antistatic materials suitable for semiconductor wafer transportation trays, in situ polymerized polystyrene (PS) and polyester (PETE) materials incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized. Their thermal and electrical properties were evaluated under conditions relevant to semiconductor tray manufacturing. Both the PS and PETE materials exhibited improved thermal stability with an increasing MWNT content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the PS increased from 82 °C (0 wt%) to 86 °C (1.0 wt%) and 91 °C (2.0 wt%), while that of the PETE increased from 83 °C to 84 °C and 90 °C, respectively. Surface resistivity measurements also demonstrated enhanced electrical conductivity. For the PS, resistivity decreased from >10¹³ Ohm/sq to 8.8 × 10³ and 3.7 × 10³ Ohm/sq at 1.0 wt% and 2.0 wt% MWNT, respectively. The PETE materials followed a similar trend, with values dropping from >10¹³ Ohm/sq to 5.9 × 10³ and 0.2 × 10³ Ohm/sq. These results confirm that MWNT incorporation effectively enhances both thermal and electrical performance, demonstrating the potential of MWNT/PS and MWNT/PETE as antistatic materials for semiconductor applications.