Daido Steel Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya; President and CEO: Tetsuya Shimizu) has newly developed DSA D22, a highly corrosion-resistant material for use in semiconductor production equipment and other applications.
DSA D22 is a nickel-based corrosion-resistant alloy with excellent gas corrosion resistance comparable to DSALOYTM 22 (equivalent to Hastelloy® C-22®). While DSALOYTM 22 is a material widely used for its superior corrosion resistance, we have developed DSA D22 with reduced alloy content and significantly improved machinability. This newly developed alloy enables semiconductor production equipment and component manufacturers to achieve broader adoption of highly corrosion-resistant material as well as lower component costs, helping them overcome key manufacturing and cost challenges.
* DSA and DSALOY are registered trademarks or trademarks of Daido Steel Co., Ltd.
* Hastelloy and C-22 are registered trademarks of Haynes International, Inc.
1. Background of Development
(1) Semiconductor Demand and Requirements for High Corrosion-Resistant Materials in Its Manufacturing Processes
Due to the rapid expansion of data centers for AI and the advancement of digital society, global semiconductor demand is rapidly expanding. The semiconductor production equipment market in 2025 reportedly reached approximately $135.1 billion,1 a 15% increase from the previous year. This has triggered capital investment in advanced logic semiconductors (2nm node, GAA structure2) and advanced memory including high bandwidth memory (HBM), driven by the expanding demand for AI.
In the manufacturing processes for such advanced logic semiconductors and advanced memory, highly corrosive halogen gases are used in various processes such as dry etching and CVD (chemical vapor deposition). As circuit miniaturization advances, defect tolerance becomes increasingly stringent. Particles generated by corrosion of components that are in contact with gases, as well as trace metal contamination, can directly impact product quality and manufacturing yield. Consequently, gas-contact parts used in gas delivery systems, including valves, piping, fittings, filters, and mass flow controllers, are increasingly required to have superior corrosion resistance.
(2) Growing Need for Highly Corrosion-Resistant Materials Exceeding SUS316L
Clean stainless steel SUS316L, including our CLEANSTARTM,3 is widely used for gas-contact components that constitute gas supply systems. However, according to our research (Daido Steel Technical Report Vol. 95, No. 2 published in 2024),4 SUS316L undergoes surface corrosion in environments of hydrogen fluoride gas, a type of halogen gas, and this reaction becomes more pronounced at higher temperatures. Therefore, for applications requiring exceptionally high corrosion resistance, the adoption of nickel-based alloys with superior corrosion resistance to SUS316L has been gradually expanding. Among these, Hastelloy C-22 and its equivalent materials, including our product DSALOY22, demonstrate excellent resistance to both oxidizing and reducing corrosive environments due to their high chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W) content, and are therefore adopted as materials for gas-contact parts.
(3) Challenges in Applying Highly Corrosion-Resistant Materials and the Proposal of DSA D22
Nevertheless, DSALOY22 has a higher material cost compared to SUS316L. In addition, its low thermal conductivity and high strength at elevated temperatures result in severe cutting tool wear and inferior machinability. As a result, higher component costs remain a significant challenge in adopting DSALOY22.
For this reason, we have developed DSA D22, a nickel-based alloy that delivers excellent gas corrosion resistance comparable to DSALOY22. DSA D22 is a more practical and cost-effective material as it has less alloy content and offers significantly improved machinability.
2. Features of Our Developed Product DSA D22
By precisely engineering the alloy composition to achieve excellent gas corrosion resistance and by reducing overall alloy content, we have successfully developed a material that offers outstanding gas corrosion resistance as well as excellent machinability, which were difficult to balance in the past.
(1) Gas Corrosion Resistance Equivalent to Highly Corrosion-Resistant DSALOY22
It was evaluated that after DSA D22 was exposed to halogen gases (HF, HCl, and HBr) at 250°C for 5 hours, the halogen penetration depth was at an equivalent level to DSALOY22 for all those gases.
(2) Superior Machinability to DSALOY22
The drill-life tests and turning tests showed that DSA D22 had better machinability than that of DSALOY22. Therefore, DSA D22 significantly reduces cutting tool wear and is expected to decrease tool replacement frequency, enabling higher machining speeds and contributing to lower costs of machining parts.
3. Main Applications and Supply System
The applications are the same as those of our CLEANSTAR and DSALOY22. DSA D22 is expected to be applied to various front-end process equipment where corrosive gases are used, including gas delivery systems for etching and deposition equipment, as well as gas-contact metal components such as valve bodies, filter housings, and mass flow controllers.
DSA D22 is available in the same size range and forms as our CLEANSTAR and nickel-based alloys. For more information, please contact us.
4. Future Initiatives
Since December 2024, we have been enhancing our production capacity for clean stainless steel and nickel-based alloys by progressively expanding vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnaces at Chita Second Plant (Chita City, Aichi Prefecture) with the aim of increasing production of high-grade steel for semiconductor production equipment.
Going forward, we will further enhance our production system for highly corrosion-resistant materials for semiconductor production equipment, including DSA D22, to meet the needs of the expanding advanced semiconductor market. Furthermore, by continuously leveraging the high-temperature gas corrosion testing facility introduced at Chita No. 2 Plant in April 2025, together with the expertise and knowledge accumulated through the development of DSA D22, we will continue to support our customers in material selection from a technical perspective through further validation activities, including joint evaluations with equipment and component manufacturers.
We strive to contribute to the semiconductor industry through the development and supply of high-performance materials that are essential for semiconductor production equipment, under our mission to pursue the potential of materials and continue to support the future of people and society.
| Product Name | DSA D22 |
| Patent | Patent pending |
Reference
1. The market size for equipment
Based on an announcement made by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) in April 2026
2. GAA structure
The Gate-All-Around structure. A next-generation transistor structure in which the gate surrounds the channel (stacked nanosheets) on all sides. It provides better gate controllability (electrostatic controllability) than conventional FinFET, achieving both power savings and high performance.
3. CLEANSTAR
Clean stainless steel (SUS316L) for semiconductor production equipment manufactured by our company.
CLEANSTAR is a registered trademark or trademark of Daido Steel Co., Ltd.
To the CLEANSTAR series introduction page
4. Corrosion behavior
Naoki Sei and Yoshihiko Koyanagi, “Corrosion Behavior of SUS316L in Hydrogen Fluoride Gas,” Denki Seiko, Vol. 95, No. 2, pp. 85-89, 2024